By: Hughes  S.B. No. 1359
         (In the Senate - Filed March 10, 2021; March 18, 2021, read
  first time and referred to Committee on Criminal Justice;
  April 21, 2021, reported favorably by the following vote:  Yeas 6,
  Nays 0; April 21, 2021, sent to printer.)
Click here to see the committee vote
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
 
  relating to adoption by law enforcement agencies of a mental health
  leave policy for peace officers.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Chapter 614, Government Code, is amended by
  adding Subchapter A-1 to read as follows:
  SUBCHAPTER A-1. MENTAL HEALTH LEAVE
         Sec. 614.015.  MENTAL HEALTH LEAVE FOR PEACE OFFICERS. (a)
  In this section, "law enforcement agency" means an agency of the
  state or an agency of a political subdivision of the state
  authorized by law to employ peace officers.
         (b)  Each law enforcement agency shall develop and adopt a
  policy allowing the use of mental health leave by the peace officers
  employed by the agency who experience a traumatic event in the scope
  of that employment.
         (c)  The mental health leave policy adopted under this
  section must:
               (1)  provide clear and objective guidelines
  establishing the circumstances under which a peace officer is
  granted mental health leave and may use mental health leave;
               (2)  entitle a peace officer to mental health leave
  without a deduction in salary or other compensation;
               (3)  enumerate the number of mental health leave days
  available to a peace officer; and
               (4)  detail the level of anonymity for a peace officer
  who takes mental health leave.
         (d)  The mental health leave policy adopted under this
  section may provide a list of mental health services available to
  peace officers in the area of the law enforcement agency.
         SECTION 2.  As soon as practicable after the effective date
  of this Act, each law enforcement agency shall develop the mental
  health leave policy required by Section 614.015, Government Code,
  as added by this Act.
         SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2021.
 
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