Bill Text: TX HB995 | 2023-2024 | 88th Legislature | Enrolled

Texas House Bill 995 (Prior Session Legislation)

Bill Title: Relating to sheriff's department disability leave in certain counties.

Sponsorship: Slight Partisan Bill (Republican 2-1)

Status: (Passed) 2023-06-10 - Effective immediately [HB995 Detail]

Download: Texas-2023-HB995-Enrolled.html



	H.B. No. 995




	AN ACT
	relating to sheriff's department disability leave in certain
	counties.
	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
	SECTION 1. Subchapter B, Chapter 158, Local Government
	Code, is amended by adding Sections 158.041 and 158.042 to read as
	follows:
	Sec. 158.041. ILLNESS OR INJURY LEAVE OF ABSENCE. (a) A
	county shall provide to an employee a leave of absence for an
	illness or injury related to the employee's activities performed in
	the line of duty. The leave is with full pay for a period
	commensurate with the nature of the line of duty illness or injury.
	If necessary, the leave shall continue for at least one year.
	(b) At the end of the one-year period, the commissioners
	court of the county may extend the line of duty illness or injury
	leave at full or reduced pay. If the employee's leave is not
	extended or the employee's salary is reduced below 60 percent of the
	employee's regular monthly salary, and the employee is a member of a
	pension fund, the employee may retire on pension until the employee
	is able to return to duty.
	(c) If pension benefits are not available to an employee who
	is temporarily disabled by a line of duty injury or illness and if
	the year at full pay and any extensions granted by the commissioners
	court have expired, the employee may use accumulated sick leave,
	vacation time, and other accumulated time before the employee is
	placed on temporary leave.
	(d) If an employee is temporarily disabled by an injury or
	illness that is not related to activities performed in the
	employee's line of duty, the employee may use all sick leave,
	vacation time, and other accumulated time before the employee is
	placed on temporary leave.
	(e) After recovery from a temporary disability, an employee
	shall be reinstated at the same rank and with the same seniority the
	employee had before going on temporary leave.
	(f) While an employee who is temporarily disabled is on
	leave, another employee may voluntarily do the work of the employee
	who is temporarily disabled or donate leave time to maintain the
	salary for the employee who is temporarily disabled until the
	temporarily disabled employee returns to duty.
	Sec. 158.042. REAPPOINTMENT AFTER RECOVERY FROM
	DISABILITY. With the commission's approval and if otherwise
	qualified, an employee who has been certified by a physician
	selected by a pension fund as having recovered from a disability for
	which the employee has been receiving a monthly disability pension
	is eligible for reappointment to the classified position that the
	employee held on the date the employee qualified for the monthly
	disability pension.
	SECTION 2. 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, 2023.


	______________________________	______________________________
	President of the Senate	Speaker of the House


	I certify that H.B. No. 995 was passed by the House on April
	20, 2023, by the following vote: Yeas 139, Nays 7, 1 present, not
	voting.

	______________________________
	Chief Clerk of the House


	I certify that H.B. No. 995 was passed by the Senate on May
	21, 2023, by the following vote: Yeas 30, Nays 1.

	______________________________
	Secretary of the Senate
	APPROVED: _____________________
	Date

	_____________________
	Governor