HBA-TYH C.S.H.B. 1280 76(R)BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisC.S.H.B. 1280 By: Siebert Urban Affairs 3/15/1999 Committee Report (Substituted) BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Currently, the entry examination for police officers may be given only at one location each time it is offered. C.S.H.B. 1280 allows the exam to be given in various localities at the same time, provided that the specified requirements are met. This will hopefully attract a larger applicant pool and increase the recruitment of minority officers. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this bill does not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution. SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS SECTION 1. Amends Section 143.025, Local Government Code, as follows: Sec. 143.025. ENTRANCE EXAMINATIONS. (a) Makes no change. (b) Makes a conforming change. (c) Makes no change. (d) Makes no change. (e) Provides that this subsection applies only in a municipality to which Subchapter J (Local Control of Police Officer Employment Matters in Municipalities With Population of 1.5 Million or More) does not apply. Provides that an examination for beginning positions in the police department must be held at one or more locations in the municipality in which the police department is located, and authorizes an examination to be held at additional locations outside of the municipality. Provides that an examination held at multiple locations must be administered on the same day and at the same time at each location. Authorizes only one eligibility list to be created from the examination and to be in effect at a given time. Requires each applicant taking the examination for the eligibility list to take the same examination and be examined in the presence of other applicants for that eligibility list. (f) Created from existing text. (g)-(h) Redesignated from Subsections (f)-(g). (i) Redesignated from Subsection (h). Makes a conforming change. SECTION 2.Effective date: September 1, 1999. Makes application of this Act prospective. SECTION 3.Emergency clause. COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL TO SUBSTITUTE C.S.H.B. 1280 differs from the original in SECTION 1 by adding Subsection (e) to Section 143.025, Local Government Code, which provides that this subsection applies only in a municipality to which Subchapter J (Local Control of Police Officer Employment Matters in Municipalities With Population of 1.5 Million or More) does not apply. Provides that an examination for beginning positions in the police department must be held at one or more locations in the municipality in which the police department is located, and authorizes an examination to be held at additional locations outside of the municipality. Provides that an examination held at multiple locations must be administered on the same day and at the same time at each location. Authorizes only one eligibility list to be created from the examination and to be in effect at a given time. Requires each applicant taking the examination for the eligibility list to take the same examination and be examined in the presence of other applicants for that eligibility list. Deletes reference to the proposed addition of "or police" in Subsection (d) of the original. Makes a conforming change in Subsection (b).