|
  |
|
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
|
|
AN ACT
|
|
relating to provisions governing the municipal civil service of |
|
fire fighters or police officers in certain municipalities. |
|
       BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
|
       SECTION 1.  Section 143.003, Local Government Code, is |
|
amended by amending Subdivision (1) and adding Subdivision (1-a) to |
|
read as follows: |
|
             (1)  "Civilian oversight board" means a board or office |
|
established by a municipality to practice oversight, monitoring, or |
|
investigations of fire fighters or police officers, or departments, |
|
by members of the public who are not fire fighters or police |
|
officers. |
|
             (1-a)  "Commission" means the Fire Fighters' and Police |
|
Officers' Civil Service Commission. |
|
       SECTION 2.  Subchapter A, Chapter 143, Local Government |
|
Code, is amended by adding Section 143.017 to read as follows: |
|
       Sec. 143.017.  INVESTIGATION BY CIVILIAN OVERSIGHT BOARD |
|
PROHIBITED. An investigation under this chapter may not be |
|
performed by a civilian oversight board. |
|
       SECTION 3.  Sections 143.089(b) and (f), Local Government |
|
Code, are amended to read as follows: |
|
       (b)  A letter, memorandum, or document relating to alleged |
|
misconduct by the fire fighter or police officer: |
|
             (1)  may not be placed in the person's personnel file if |
|
the employing department determines that there is insufficient |
|
evidence to sustain the charge of misconduct; and |
|
             (2)  except as provided by Section 1701.451, |
|
Occupations Code, may not be released to any agency or person |
|
requesting the letter, memorandum, or document if there is a |
|
pending investigation into the alleged misconduct. |
|
       (f)  The director or the director's designee may not release |
|
any information contained in a fire fighter's or police officer's |
|
personnel file without first obtaining the person's written |
|
permission, unless the release of the information is required by |
|
law or for a law enforcement purpose. |
|
       SECTION 4.  Subchapter F, Chapter 143, Local Government |
|
Code, is amended by adding Sections 143.091 and 143.092 to read as |
|
follows: |
|
       Sec. 143.091.  MUTUAL AGREEMENT SUPERSEDES CERTAIN |
|
MUNICIPAL LAW. For a municipality with a collective bargaining |
|
agreement or a meet-and-confer agreement with the municipality's |
|
fire department or police department, the agreement supersedes an |
|
ordinance, executive order, or rule adopted by the municipality. |
|
       Sec. 143.092.  ELIGIBILITY FOR CIVILIAN OVERSIGHT BOARD. A |
|
person is not eligible to serve on a civilian oversight board if the |
|
person has been: |
|
             (1)  convicted of or placed on deferred adjudication |
|
community supervision for a felony offense; or |
|
             (2)  convicted of a crime of moral turpitude. |
|
       SECTION 5.  Section 143.306, Local Government Code, is |
|
amended by adding Subsection (d) to read as follows: |
|
       (d)  A municipal charter, ordinance, executive order, or |
|
rule adopted by a municipality that restricts or conditions the |
|
authority of a public employer to enter into a written agreement |
|
under this subchapter is void and unenforceable. |
|
       SECTION 6.  Section 143.091, Local Government Code, as added |
|
by this Act, applies to a collective bargaining agreement or a |
|
meet-and-confer agreement that was in effect on or after January 1, |
|
2023. |
|
       SECTION 7.  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, 2023. |
Introduced: Local Government Code 143.003, Local Government Code 143.089 (Local Government Code 143)
Senate Committee Report: Local Government Code 143.003, Local Government Code 143.089 (Local Government Code 143)
Engrossed: Local Government Code 143.003, Local Government Code 143.089 (Local Government Code 143)
House Committee Report: Local Government Code 143.003, Local Government Code 143.089, Local Government Code 143.306 (Local Government Code 143)