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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to military leave time accounts for police and fire |
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departments. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 143.075, Local Government Code, is |
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amended to read as follows: |
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(a) A municipality shall maintain military leave time |
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accounts for the fire and police departments and must maintain a |
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separate military leave time account for each department. |
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(b) A military leave time account shall benefit a fire |
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fighter or police officer who: |
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(1) Is a member of the Texas National Guard or the |
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armed forces reserves of the United States; |
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(2) Was called to active federal military duty while |
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serving as a fire fighter or police officer for the municipality; |
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(3) Has served on active duty for a period of 12 3 |
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continuous months or longer; and
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(4)
Has exhausted the balance of the person's
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vacation, holiday, and compensatory leave time accumulations.
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(c) A fire fighter or police officer may donate any amount |
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of accumulated vacation, holiday, sick, or compensatory leave time |
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to the military leave time account in that fire fighter's or police |
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officer's department to help provide salary continuation for fire |
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fighters or police officers who qualify as eligible beneficiaries |
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of the account under Subsection (b). A fire fighter or police |
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officer who wishes to donate time to an account under this section |
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must authorize the donation in writing on a form provided by the |
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fire or police department and approved by the municipality. |
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(d) A municipality shall equally distribute the leave time |
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donated to a military leave time account among all fire fighters or |
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police officers who are eligible beneficiaries of that account. |
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The municipality shall credit and debit the applicable military |
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leave time account on an hourly basis regardless of the cash value |
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of the time donated or used. |
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SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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Act takes effect September 1, 2013. |