HBA-TYH H.B. 1367 76(R) BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 1367 By: Tillery Urban Affairs 3/15/1999 Introduced BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Current law authorizes the fire department head to order a fire fighter to submit to a polygraph examination if a complainant lodging a complaint against the fire fighter first takes and passes a polygraph examination or if the department head considers the circumstances to be such that the integrity of the fire fighter or fire department is in question. H.B. 1367 establishes the situations under which a fire fighter may be ordered to take a polygraph examination, limiting involuntary polygraph examinations of fire fighters to those cases in which the complainant has submitted to and passed a polygraph examination. 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 143.124(a), Local Government Code, to delete text referring to a fire fighter being ordered by the fire department head (head) to take an examination as a circumstance under which a fire fighter may be required to submit to a polygraph examination. SECTION 2. Repealer: Section 143.124(f), Local Government Code. The subsection authorizes the head to order a fire fighter to submit to a polygraph examination if the head considers the circumstances to be extraordinary and believes that the integrity of a fire fighter or the fire department is in question. SECTION 3. Effective date: September 1, 1999. SECTION 4. Emergency clause.