HBA-CMT, JEK H.B. 1510 77(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 1510
By: Yarbrough
Urban Affairs
3/5/2001
Introduced



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

The Local Government Code establishes certain civil service requirements
for fire fighters and police officers in cities with a population of 1.5
million or more which have adopted the provisions for municipal civil
service.  Currently, the City of Houston is the only city affected by these
provisions.  House Bill 1510 requires the fire department to provide a fire
fighter with relevant documents not later than 48 hours before the time of
a disciplinary meeting, and entitles the fire fighter to have two
representatives at the meeting. 

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. 

ANALYSIS

House Bill 1510 amends the Local Government Code to require that a fire
fighter who is provided notice of a meeting or hearing related to an
internal departmental or other municipal investigation or responding to
charges prior to termination of employment is entitled, on request, to all
documents related to the internal departmental or other municipal
investigation of the fire fighter.  The bill requires such documents to be
provided to the fire fighter not later than the 48th hour before the hour
on which the meeting or hearing is held. 

H.B. 1510 entitles a fire fighter who is the subject of a such a meeting or
hearing to have two representatives at the meeting.  The bill entitles the
representatives to be present to advise the fire fighter and to present any
evidence or information for the fire fighter.  The bill provides that the
representatives are not required to be attorneys and prohibits the
representatives from being prevented from fully participating in the
meeting. 

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2001.