HB 46
| Menendez Hinojosa | Relating to compensatory time off for certain employees of the Parks and Wildlife Department. |
| General Remarks: | SUPPORT |
| Last Action: | 5-19-11 G Earliest effective date |
HB 988
| Kolkhorst Whitmire | Relating to compensatory time accrued by a correctional officer employed by the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. |
| Last Action: | 9- 1-11 G Earliest effective date |
HB 1046
| Fletcher Huffman | Relating to the confidentiality of certain personal information. |
| Last Action: | 6-17-11 G Earliest effective date |
HB 1057
| Anchia West | Relating to business leave time for certain municipal firefighters and police officers. |
| General Remarks: | DALLAS BILL: Business leave for firefighters and police officers in Dallas. |
| Last Action: | 6-17-11 G Earliest effective date |
HB 1083
| Elkins Hegar | Relating to the issuance of an identification card to certain honorably retired peace officers. |
| General Remarks: | SUPPORT: Requires agency to issue ID card to honorably retired peace officer who meets firearm's proficiency requirement. |
| Last Action: | 6-17-11 G Earliest effective date |
HB 1163
| Keffer Hegar | Relating to tuition and fee exemptions at public institutions of higher education for certain peace officers and firefighters. |
| Last Action: | 6-17-11 G Earliest effective date |
HB 1379
| Anchia West | Relating to the purchasing of a firearm from the county by an honorably retired law enforcement officer. |
| General Remarks: | SUPPORT |
| Last Action: | 9- 1-11 G Earliest effective date |
HB 2006
| Bonnen Huffman | Relating to the release of a photograph of a police officer and access to records maintained by internal investigative divisions in certain municipalities. |
| General Remarks: | NOTE: House floor amendment makes bill apply to all civil service cities. Changed states to SUPPORT. FILED AS HOUSTON ONLY: Amends civil service to prohibit the release of officer's photograph unless the officer has been charged with an offense, the officer is a party to a disciplinary hearing, the photograph is evidence in a judicial proceeding, or the officer gives consent. |
| Last Action: | 9- 1-11 G Earliest effective date |
HB 2310
| Miller, Doug Wentworth | Relating to appointment of bailiffs for the district courts in Comal, Hays, and Caldwell Counties. |
| Last Action: | 9- 1-11 G Earliest effective date |
HB 2605
| Taylor, Larry Huffman | Relating to the continuation and functions of the division of workers' compensation of the Texas Department of Insurance. |
| General Remarks: | HB 2605 was the Texas Workers’ Compensation Sunset Bill. Each year, the legislature is required to review various agencies that are scheduled for “sunset”. If the legislature does not re-enact the enabling legislation for the agency, then the agency would cease to exist. The Worker’s Compensation Division of the Texas Department of Insurance oversees workers compensation in Texas. The Texas Labor Code contains the various statutes that regulate Texas workers compensation. HB 2605 amended many of these provisions in the Labor Code and reauthorized the authority of TDI to oversee workers compensation. CLEAT had legislation filed to address the problems peace officers have encountered when injured in the line of duty. This legislation stalled in the House Committee on State Affairs. The original bill was filed by Rep. Joe Deshotel, D-Beaumont, and Senator Robert Deuell, R-Greenville. However, when the sunset bill moved to the House floor, CLEAT saw an opportunity to try and address this important issue. We prepared a floor amendment and Rep. Deshotel offered it during the debate on the House floor. There were efforts to kill this amendment, which was opposed by the Texas Municipal League and their workers’ compensation insurance risk pool. A motion to table the amendment was defeated by our supporters by a vote of 78-65. The bill then moved to the Senate where Senator Eddie Lucio, D-Brownsville, and Senator Deuell worked to keep the amendment in the bill. CLEAT visited with every member of the Texas Senate and obtained a big victory when Senator Huffman, the Senate sponsor, decided not to oppose the first responder amendment. The bill passed the Senate with changes from the original House bill, so the House had to consider these changes. At first, we were led to believe that the House would concur in the Senate amendments, but without warning they did not and the bill went to a conference committee. CLEAT lobbyists had to scramble over the Memorial Day weekend to ensure that our language remained in the final version of the bill called the conference committee report. We were successful and the Legislature adopted the conference committee report on the last day they were able to do so. HB 2605 creates Sections 504.054, 504.055, and 504.056 of the Labor Code. These sections provide that first responders, including peace officers, who are seriously injured in the line of duty are entitled to expedited consideration of workers compensation claims. The law will require an employer, the Workers Compensation Division, and workers compensation insurance companies to accelerate and give priority to an injured first responder’s claim for medical benefits, including all health care required to cure or relieve the effects from a compensable injury. The law will also provide that the Workers Compensation Division shall also accelerate contested case hearings or appeals submitted by a first responder regarding a denial of a claim for medical benefits. Because of these new provisions, we believe that much of the red tape associated with these claims will be avoided. It will force the parties to review these cases more closely and make sure officers are getting the care they need, when they need it. Governor Perry signed HB 2605 and it takes effect on September 1, 2011. |
| Last Action: | 9- 1-11 G Earliest effective date |
HB 3788
| Marquez Davis, Wendy | Relating to the authority of a county civil service commission to administer oaths and issue subpoenas. |
| General Remarks: | Allows county civil service commission to administer oaths and issue subpoenas. Status changed to SUPPORT. |
| Last Action: | 6-17-11 G Earliest effective date |
SB 32
| Zaffirini Branch | Relating to the consolidation of related higher education programs governing tuition, fee exemptions, and waivers respective to specific target populations. |
| General Remarks: | WATCH: Affects tuition exemptions for peace officers, disabled peace officers and children of peace officers killed in the line of duty. |
| Last Action: | 1- 1-12 G Earliest effective date |
SB 543
| Hegar Taylor, Larry | Relating to a probate fee exemption for estates of certain law enforcement officers, firefighters, and others killed in the line of duty. |
| General Remarks: | In 2010, CLEAT met with Galveston County Probate Judge Kimberly Sullivan who had a great idea. She suggested that the family of a peace officer killed in the line of duty should not have to pay the probate fees associated with probating the will and estate of the officer. This is a benefit currently enjoyed by the surivors of US military personnel killed in the line of duty. Thus, SB 543 was born. CLEAT worked with Sen. Hegar and Rep. Taylor to get this bill to the Governor’s desk. Though other organizations have claimed this bill as their own, CLEAT was the only law enforcement organization to sign up and testify for SB 543 when it was considered by the Senate Committee on Jurisprudence. CLEAT also met with Judge Sullivan during the legislative session and went with her to various legislative offices to lobby for passage of this bill. The bill takes effect on September 1, 2011. |
| Last Action: | 9- 1-11 G Earliest effective date |
SB 1600
| Whitmire King, Phil | Relating to the registration of peace officers as private security officers. |
| General Remarks: | After the start of the session, CLEAT learned of a problem in Arlington involving officers working extra employment at Dallas Cowboys and Texas Rangers games. These officers were being required to register with the Private Security Board because they were technically employed by a private security company. These employees were being paid by a subsidiary company of the Cowboys or Rangers that employed all of the event staff, including private security officers that work these events. These companies had to be licensed as security companies since they employed security officers. Current law did not include an exemption for officers employed by security companies. This same problem existed in Houston and Senator Whitmire filed SB 1600 to address it. CLEAT worked with Senator Whitmire and testified about the problem in Arlington during the committee hearing. The bill passed, and makes it clear that these officers are exempt from the Private Security Act. |
| Last Action: | 6-17-11 G Earliest effective date |
SB 1638
| Davis, Wendy Geren | Relating to the exception of certain personal information from required disclosure under the public information law. |
| General Remarks: | SUPPORT: Adds emergency contact information to the employee information that is protected under the public information act. AMEND Section 552.117 and 552.1175 to add date of birth. |
| Last Action: | 6-17-11 G Earliest effective date |
SB 1687
| Ellis Coleman | Relating to information on turnover among county jail personnel. |
| General Remarks: | SUPPORT: Requires county to send report to TCJS on staffing in order to devolop risk assesment for each jail. |
| Last Action: | 9- 1-11 G Earliest effective date |
SB 1887
| Harris Smith, Todd | Relating to the appointment of bailiffs in certain county criminal courts of Tarrant County. |
| General Remarks: | SUPPORT: Supported by Tarrant County SOA. |
| Last Action: | 9- 1-11 G Earliest effective date |
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