By: Darby, et al. (Senate Sponsor - Hancock) H.B. No. 2713

(In the Senate - Received from the House May 14, 2025; May 14, 2025, read first time and referred to Committee on Local Government; May 19, 2025, reported favorably by the following vote: Yeas 7, Nays 0; May 19, 2025, sent to printer.) Click here to see the committee vote

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the repeal of a municipal civil service system for firefighters and police officers in certain municipalities.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

SECTION 1. Section 143.004(e), Local Government Code, is amended to read as follows:

(e) If the governing body of a municipality with a population of less than 50,000 [950,000] that has operated under this chapter for at least one year receives a petition requesting an election to repeal this chapter that is signed by at least 10 percent of the qualified voters of the municipality, the governing body shall order an election submitting to the voters the question on whether this chapter should be repealed. If a majority of the qualified voters vote to repeal this chapter, this chapter is void in that municipality.

SECTION 2. The change in law made by this Act applies only to a petition for which an election has not been ordered before the effective date of this Act. A petition for which an election has been ordered before the effective date of this Act is governed by the law in effect when the election was ordered, and the former law is continued in effect for that purpose.

SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this Act takes effect September 1, 2025.

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