BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 2087

By: Perez

Urban Affairs

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Firefighters in the City of Houston work under a collective bargaining agreement as provided for under The Fire and Police Employee Relations Act. For the past three years, these firefighters have worked without a contract because the firefighters and the city have been unable to resolve contractual differences. H.B. 2087 seeks to help provide for the mediation of issues that might come up during this dispute by providing for mandatory arbitration in certain situations.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.

ANALYSIS

H.B. 2087 amends the Local Government Code to require a fire department that serves a municipality with a population of 1.9 million or more and an association that is a bargaining agent for the department's employees to submit to binding interest arbitration in the following circumstances:

· the parties reach an impasse in collective bargaining; or

· the parties are unable to settle after the 61st day after the date the appropriate lawmaking body fails to approve a contract reached through collective bargaining.

H.B. 2087 requires each party to send to the other party a written notice specifying each issue in dispute for purposes of binding arbitration by a certain applicable deadline and specifies when the notice is considered sent.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2021.