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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the employment practices of the Texas Juvenile Justice |
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Department and to the eligibility of a person to be appointed to the |
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Texas Juvenile Justice Department's release review panel and the |
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authority of a panel member. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 242.004(c), Human Resources Code, is |
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amended to read as follows: |
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(c) The department shall establish procedures and practices |
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governing: |
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(1) employment-related grievances submitted by |
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department employees; and |
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(2) grievances challenging disciplinary termination |
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of employment [disciplinary actions within the department, |
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including a procedure allowing a department employee to elect to |
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participate in an independent dismissal mediation if the employee |
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is recommended for dismissal]. |
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SECTION 2. Subchapter A, Chapter 242, Human Resources Code, |
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is amended by adding Section 242.012 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 242.012. PAYMENT FOR VACATION LEAVE FOR JUVENILE |
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CORRECTIONAL OFFICERS. (a) In this section, "juvenile |
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correctional officer" has the meaning assigned by Section 242.009. |
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(b) The department may adopt a policy allowing juvenile |
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correctional officers, one time during a fiscal year, to elect to |
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receive a lump-sum payment for the officer's accumulated vacation |
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leave in lieu of taking the leave. |
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(c) The number of hours of accumulated vacation leave for |
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which a juvenile correctional officer may be paid under a policy |
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authorized by this section may not exceed all of the officer's |
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accumulated vacation leave or 40 hours of accumulated vacation |
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leave, whichever is less. |
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(d) If the department pays a juvenile correctional officer |
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for the officer's accumulated vacation leave under a policy |
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authorized by this section, the department shall: |
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(1) compute the amount of the payment by multiplying |
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the officer's hourly rate of compensation on the date the officer |
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notifies the department of an election by the number of hours of |
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accumulated vacation leave for which the officer elects to be paid; |
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and |
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(2) on making the payment, deduct the number of hours |
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for which the officer received payment from the officer's |
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accumulated vacation leave balance. |
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SECTION 3. Section 245.101(c), Human Resources Code, is |
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amended to read as follows: |
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(c) The executive director shall determine the size of the |
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panel described by Subsection (b) and the length of the members' |
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terms of service on the panel. The panel must consist of an odd |
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number of members and the terms of the panel's members must last for |
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at least two years. The executive director shall adopt policies |
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that ensure the transparency, consistency, and objectivity of the |
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panel's composition, procedures, and decisions. The executive |
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director shall appoint persons to serve as members of the panel. A |
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person appointed to the panel must be a department employee [who |
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works at the department's central office]. A member of the panel |
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may not be involved in any determination under this chapter |
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[supervisory decisions] concerning a child [children] in the |
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custody of the department for whom that panel member has made a |
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supervisory decision. |
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SECTION 4. As soon as practicable after the effective date |
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of this Act, the Texas Juvenile Justice Department shall establish |
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the procedures and practices required by Section 242.004(c), Human |
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Resources Code, as amended by this Act. |
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SECTION 5. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |