HBA-TBM H.B. 2260 77(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 2260
By: Danburg
County Affairs
3/18/2001
Introduced



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

Currently, public employees who are pregnant can take leave from work under
several state and federal provisions when they no are longer capable of
performing their jobs.  However, there is no provision for law enforcement
officers who are only partially physically restricted due to pregnancy.
Municipal and county employees may have been ordered by their physician to
not continue working at their regular assignment, but they may still be
able to perform in another less strenuous work assignment.  In the case of
a law enforcement officer, once a physician certifies that the officer
should no longer perform patrol functions, the officer may be able to
continue to work in a desk or dispatch assignment.  House Bill 2260
requires a municipality or county to make a reasonable effort to
accommodate the employment needs of pregnant municipal and county
employees.   

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 2260 amends the Local Government Code to require a municipality
or county to make a reasonable effort to accommodate an employee of the
municipality or county determined by a physician to be partially physically
restricted by a pregnancy.  If the physician of a municipal or county
employee certifies that the employee is unable to perform the duties of the
employee's permanent work assignment and a temporary work assignment that
the employee may perform is available, the municipality or county is
required to assign the employee to the temporary work assignment.   

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2001.