HBA-DMD H.B. 1448 76(R) BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 1448 By: Uher Public Safety 3/17/1999 Introduced BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Under current law, the Department of Public Safety (department) is required to adopt reasonable guidelines relating to acceptable off-duty employment for its officers. Such off-duty employment assists officers in supplementing their income. H.B. 1448 removes the department's requirement to adopt guidelines relating to off-duty employment for its officers. This bill also entitles an officer to engage in any off-duty employment or attend any educational course that does not violate any statute. 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 411.0077, Government Code, as follows: Sec. 411.0077. LIMITATION ON RESTRICTIONS ON CERTAIN OFF-DUTY ACTIVITIES. Entitles an off-duty commissioned officer of the Department of Public Safety (department) to attend educational programs or courses or to engage in any outside employment that does not violate any statute, rather than adversely affect the operations or reputation of the department. Deletes Subsections (b) and (c) requiring the department to adopt guidelines which relate to acceptable off-duty employment which the officer is authorized to engage in until the public safety director or his designee informs the officer in writing that the employment is not acceptable. Makes a conforming change. SECTION 2. Effective date: September 1, 1999. SECTION 3. Emergency clause.