HBA-DMD S.B. 1278 76(R) BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisS.B. 1278 By: Wentworth State Affairs 5/10/1999 Engrossed BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Under current Texas law, a state employee who serves as reserve fireman is entitled to leave with pay to attend firefighter and related training. No such provision exists for state employees who serve as reserve peace officers. S.B. 1278 entitles a state employee who serves as a reserve peace officer to an administrative leave of absence from work, not to exceed 80 hours per year, without loss of compensation or risk of termination for the hours during which the employee receives necessary peace officer training. This bill requires an employee to give reasonable advance notice of the employee's intention to use the administrative leave to attend necessary peace officer training. 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 Subchapter F, Chapter 661, Government Code, by adding Section 661.152, as follows: Sec. 661.152. LEAVE FOR RESERVE PEACE OFFICERS. (a) Sets forth that this section applies only to a state employee who serves as a reserve peace officer. (b) Entitles a state employee who serves as a reserve peace officer to an administrative leave of absence from work as a state employee without loss of compensation or risk of termination for the hours during which the employee receives necessary peace officer training. Prohibits the amount of administrative leave taken under this section from exceeding 80 hours in a state fiscal year. (c) Requires an employee to give reasonable advance notice of the employee's intention to use the administrative leave to attend necessary peace officer training. (d) Requires the state agency that employs a person who requests administrative leave under this section to verify the person's eligibility to take the leave. Effective date: 90 days after adjournment.