Bill Text: TX HB1486 | 2023-2024 | 88th Legislature | Comm Sub
NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft
Bill Title: Relating to the adoption of a mental health leave policy for certain telecommunicators.
Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Democrat 5-2)
Status: (Passed) 2023-06-18 - Effective on 9/1/23 [HB1486 Detail]
Download: Texas-2023-HB1486-Comm_Sub.html
Bill Title: Relating to the adoption of a mental health leave policy for certain telecommunicators.
Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Democrat 5-2)
Status: (Passed) 2023-06-18 - Effective on 9/1/23 [HB1486 Detail]
Download: Texas-2023-HB1486-Comm_Sub.html
By: Gerdes, et al. (Senate Sponsor - Whitmire) | H.B. No. 1486 | |
(In the Senate - Received from the House April 17, 2023; | ||
April 18, 2023, read first time and referred to Committee on | ||
Criminal Justice; May 19, 2023, reported favorably by the | ||
following vote: Yeas 7, Nays 0; May 19, 2023, sent to printer.) | ||
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relating to the adoption of a mental health leave policy for certain | ||
telecommunicators. | ||
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
SECTION 1. Section 614.015, Government Code, is amended to | ||
read as follows: | ||
Sec. 614.015. MENTAL HEALTH LEAVE FOR PEACE OFFICERS AND | ||
TELECOMMUNICATORS. (a) In this section: | ||
(1) "Law [ |
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of the state or [ |
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authorized by law to employ peace officers. | ||
(2) "Telecommunicator" means a person authorized to | ||
act as a telecommunicator under Section 1701.405, Occupations Code. | ||
(b) Each law enforcement agency, and each agency of the | ||
state or of a political subdivision of the state that employs a | ||
full-time telecommunicator, shall develop and adopt a policy | ||
allowing the use of mental health leave by the peace officers and | ||
full-time telecommunicators, as applicable, employed by the agency | ||
who experience a traumatic event in the scope of that employment. | ||
(c) A [ |
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section must: | ||
(1) provide clear and objective guidelines | ||
establishing the circumstances under which a peace officer or | ||
telecommunicator is granted [ |
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mental health leave; | ||
(2) entitle a peace officer or telecommunicator to | ||
mental health leave without a deduction in salary or other | ||
compensation; | ||
(3) enumerate the number of mental health leave days | ||
available to a peace officer or telecommunicator; and | ||
(4) detail the level of anonymity for a peace officer | ||
or telecommunicator who takes mental health leave. | ||
(d) A [ |
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section may provide a list of mental health services available to | ||
peace officers and telecommunicators in the area of the law | ||
enforcement or employing agency. | ||
SECTION 2. As soon as practicable after the effective date | ||
of this Act, each agency required to adopt a mental health leave | ||
policy under Section 614.015, Government Code, as amended by this | ||
Act, shall adopt a mental health leave policy as prescribed by that | ||
section. | ||
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023. | ||
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