H.B. No. 4048 aims to enhance compensation, leave, and physical fitness standards for employees of the Office of the Inspector General of the Texas Juvenile Justice Department. The bill amends various sections of the Government Code to include the Texas Juvenile Justice Department as a recognized law enforcement agency and establishes provisions for hazardous duty pay for specific employees, including investigators and security officers. Notably, it introduces a new subsection that mandates the inclusion of hazardous duty pay for these employees, contingent upon their direct contact with youth in residential facilities or under supervision, and having completed at least 12 months of service credit.

Additionally, the bill requires that commissioned peace officers in the Office of the Inspector General be classified under Schedule C of the position classification salary schedule as prescribed by the General Appropriations Act. This classification change will take effect with the state fiscal biennium starting September 1, 2025, and will expire on September 1, 2027. The bill also specifies that the amendments regarding hazardous duty pay apply only to injuries occurring on or after the effective date of the Act, which is set for September 1, 2025.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: Government Code 614.171, Government Code 659.303, Government Code 661.918, Human Resources Code 242.102 (Government Code 659, Government Code 661, Government Code 614, Human Resources Code 242)