Bill Text: TX HB2073 | 2021-2022 | 87th Legislature | Engrossed
Bill Title: Relating to quarantine leave for fire fighters, peace officers, detention officers, and emergency medical technicians employed by, appointed by, or elected for a political subdivision.
Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill
Status: (Engrossed) 2021-04-12 - Referred to Local Government [HB2073 Detail]
Download: Texas-2021-HB2073-Engrossed.html
| By: Burrows, Goldman, Longoria, Meyer, | H.B. No. 2073 | |
| Sherman, Sr., et al. | ||
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| relating to quarantine leave for fire fighters, peace officers, | ||
| detention officers, and emergency medical technicians employed by, | ||
| appointed by, or elected for a political subdivision. | ||
| BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
| SECTION 1. The heading to Chapter 180, Local Government | ||
| Code, is amended to read as follows: | ||
| CHAPTER 180. MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS AFFECTING OFFICERS AND | ||
| EMPLOYEES OF MORE THAN ONE TYPE OF [ |
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| SECTION 2. Chapter 180, Local Government Code, is amended | ||
| by adding Section 180.008 to read as follows: | ||
| Sec. 180.008. QUARANTINE LEAVE FOR FIRE FIGHTERS, PEACE | ||
| OFFICERS, DETENTION OFFICERS, AND EMERGENCY MEDICAL TECHNICIANS. | ||
| (a) In this section: | ||
| (1) "Detention officer" means an individual appointed | ||
| or employed by a political subdivision as a county jailer or other | ||
| individual responsible for the care and custody of individuals | ||
| incarcerated in a county or municipal jail. | ||
| (2) "Emergency medical technician" means an | ||
| individual who is: | ||
| (A) certified as an emergency medical technician | ||
| under Chapter 773, Health and Safety Code; and | ||
| (B) employed by a political subdivision. | ||
| (3) "Fire fighter" means a paid employee of a | ||
| municipal fire department or emergency services district who: | ||
| (A) holds a position that requires substantial | ||
| knowledge of fire fighting; | ||
| (B) has met the requirements for certification by | ||
| the Texas Commission on Fire Protection under Chapter 419, | ||
| Government Code; and | ||
| (C) performs a function listed in Section | ||
| 143.003(4)(A). | ||
| (4) "Peace officer" means an individual described by | ||
| Article 2.12, Code of Criminal Procedure, who is elected for, | ||
| employed by, or appointed by a political subdivision. | ||
| (b) A political subdivision shall place on paid quarantine | ||
| leave a fire fighter, peace officer, detention officer, or | ||
| emergency medical technician employed by the political subdivision | ||
| and ordered by a supervisor or a health authority to quarantine or | ||
| isolate due to a possible or known exposure to a communicable | ||
| disease while on duty. | ||
| (c) A political subdivision shall provide to a fire fighter, | ||
| peace officer, detention officer, or emergency medical technician | ||
| on quarantine leave: | ||
| (1) all employment benefits and compensation, | ||
| including leave accrual, pension benefits, and health benefit plan | ||
| benefits; and | ||
| (2) costs related to the quarantine, including | ||
| lodging, medical, and transportation costs. | ||
| (d) A political subdivision may not reduce a fire fighter's, | ||
| peace officer's, detention officer's, or emergency medical | ||
| technician's sick leave balance, vacation leave balance, holiday | ||
| leave balance, or other paid leave balance in connection with | ||
| quarantine leave required by Subsection (b). | ||
| SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives | ||
| a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as | ||
| provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this | ||
| Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this | ||
| Act takes effect September 1, 2021. | ||
