BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 2713

By: Darby

Intergovernmental Affairs

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Current law establishes municipal civil service for firefighters and police officers to ensure that departments are efficient and staffed by capable personnel who are free from political influence and have employment tenure as public servants. The bill author has informed the committee that municipalities and counties that have adopted a civil service system achieve higher professional standards, providing firefighters and police officers with an environment free from political influence, which is essential for progress in the profession. The 88th Legislature passed
H.B. 4227 to restrict the ability to repeal civil service for firefighters and police officers to municipalities with a population of less than 950,000. H.B. 2713 seeks to provide for municipalities to retain a civil service system for firefighters and police officers by lowering the population threshold at which a municipality's governing body must order an election for the repeal of the system on receipt of an applicable petition.

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. 2713 amends the Local Government Code to lower from less than 950,000 to less than 70,000 the population threshold of a municipality that has operated under the municipal civil service system for firefighters and police officers for at least one year at which the municipality's governing body is required to order an election for the repeal of the system on receipt of a petition requesting such an election that is signed by at least 10 percent of the municipality's qualified voters.

H.B. 2713 applies only to a petition for which an election has not been ordered before the bill's effective date. A petition for which an election has been ordered before the bill's effective date is governed by the law in effect when the election was ordered, and the former law is continued in effect for that purpose.

EFFECTIVE DATE

On passage, or, if the bill does not receive the necessary vote, September 1, 2025.