BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 2103

By: Ashby

Corrections

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Current law requires state and local law enforcement entities to develop and adopt a mental health leave policy for peace officers and telecommunicators. The Sunset Advisory Commission's 2024 review of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) found "a persistently high rate of employee turnover" for correctional officers across Texas, which the sunset commission partially attributes to the toll that difficult working conditions take on employees' mental health. H.B. 2103 seeks to address this issue by providing for the inclusion of jailers employed by counties and TDCJ in these mental health leave policies.

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. 2103 amends the Government Code to include a jailer among the employees for whom each law enforcement agency and each agency of the state or of a political subdivision of the state is required to develop and adopt a policy allowing the use of mental health leave by employees who experience a traumatic event in the scope of that employment. The bill defines "jailer" as a person employed as a county jail guard or an employee of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice who performs a security, custodial, or supervisory function over the admittance, confinement, or discharge of prisoners.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2025.