HB 46
| Menendez Hinojosa | Relating to compensatory time off for certain employees of the Parks and Wildlife Department. |
| General Remarks: | SUPPORT |
| Last Action: | 5-19-11 G Earliest effective date |
HB 242
| Craddick Hegar | Relating to the authority of certain retired peace officers to carry certain firearms. |
| General Remarks: | SUPPORT: Clarifies definition of "honorably retired law enforcement officer". A number of amendments were added in the Senate, including a texting while driving amendment that caused the governor to veto this bill. |
| Last Action: | 6-17-11 G Vetoed by the Governor |
HB 308
| Menendez Watson | Relating to life preserving devices on recreational vessels. |
| General Remarks: | SUPPORT |
| Last Action: | 6-17-11 G Earliest effective date |
HB 457
| Craddick Nelson | Relating to restrictions on the promotion and operation of charitable raffles. |
| General Remarks: | SUPPORT: Allows organization to promote charitible raffle on website, through social media or in a publication of the organization. Employee's of an organization may organize and conduct a raffle. |
| Last Action: | 5-27-11 G Earliest effective date |
HB 1046
| Fletcher Huffman | Relating to the confidentiality of certain personal information. |
| Last Action: | 6-17-11 G Earliest effective date |
HB 1057
| Anchia West | Relating to business leave time for certain municipal firefighters and police officers. |
| General Remarks: | DALLAS BILL: Business leave for firefighters and police officers in Dallas. |
| Last Action: | 6-17-11 G Earliest effective date |
HB 1070
| Scott Hinojosa | Relating to the taking of a defendant's bail bond by county jailers. |
| General Remarks: | SUPPORT: Allows jailers to accept bail bonds. |
| Last Action: | 6-17-11 G Earliest effective date |
HB 1075
| Anderson, Rodney Davis, Wendy | Relating to the consolidation of certain alert systems into a single statewide alert system and to the addition of other factors that will prompt an alert under the consolidated system. |
| Last Action: | 9- 1-11 G Earliest effective date |
HB 1083
| Elkins Hegar | Relating to the issuance of an identification card to certain honorably retired peace officers. |
| General Remarks: | SUPPORT: Requires agency to issue ID card to honorably retired peace officer who meets firearm's proficiency requirement. |
| Last Action: | 6-17-11 G Earliest effective date |
HB 1379
| Anchia West | Relating to the purchasing of a firearm from the county by an honorably retired law enforcement officer. |
| General Remarks: | SUPPORT |
| Last Action: | 9- 1-11 G Earliest effective date |
HB 1402
| Guillen Zaffirini | Relating to the applicability of the law on the consequences of a criminal conviction to law enforcement officer license holders and applicants. |
| General Remarks: | SUPPORT: Would ensure that a person could not be licensed as a county jailer if they have a previous felony conviction. |
| Last Action: | 9- 1-11 G Earliest effective date |
HB 1503
| White Nichols | Relating to the qualifications to serve as a special peace officer at a polling place. |
| General Remarks: | SUPPORT: Would require that if a person is appointed as a special peace officer at a polling place (already allowed), they have to be licensed by TCLEOSE. |
| Last Action: | 9- 1-11 G Earliest effective date |
HB 1541
| McClendon Wentworth | Relating to the prevention of automobile burglary and theft. |
| General Remarks: | SUPPORT: Senate amendment funds Auto Theft Prevention Account in Department of Motor Vehicles. |
| Last Action: | 9- 1-11 G Earliest effective date |
HB 2006
| Bonnen Huffman | Relating to the release of a photograph of a police officer and access to records maintained by internal investigative divisions in certain municipalities. |
| General Remarks: | NOTE: House floor amendment makes bill apply to all civil service cities. FILED AS HOUSTON ONLY: Amends civil service to prohibit the release of officer's photograph unless the officer has been charged with an offense, the officer is a party to a disciplinary hearing, the photograph is evidence in a judicial proceeding, or the officer gives consent. |
| Last Action: | 9- 1-11 G Earliest effective date |
HB 2605
| Taylor, Larry Huffman | Relating to the continuation and functions of the division of workers' compensation of the Texas Department of Insurance. |
| General Remarks: | HB 2605 was the Texas Workers’ Compensation Sunset Bill. Each year, the legislature is required to review various agencies that are scheduled for “sunset”. If the legislature does not re-enact the enabling legislation for the agency, then the agency would cease to exist. The Worker’s Compensation Division of the Texas Department of Insurance oversees workers compensation in Texas. The Texas Labor Code contains the various statutes that regulate Texas workers compensation. HB 2605 amended many of these provisions in the Labor Code and reauthorized the authority of TDI to oversee workers compensation. CLEAT had legislation filed to address the problems peace officers have encountered when injured in the line of duty. This legislation stalled in the House Committee on State Affairs. The original bill was filed by Rep. Joe Deshotel, D-Beaumont, and Senator Robert Deuell, R-Greenville. However, when the sunset bill moved to the House floor, CLEAT saw an opportunity to try and address this important issue. We prepared a floor amendment and Rep. Deshotel offered it during the debate on the House floor. There were efforts to kill this amendment, which was opposed by the Texas Municipal League and their workers’ compensation insurance risk pool. A motion to table the amendment was defeated by our supporters by a vote of 78-65. The bill then moved to the Senate where Senator Eddie Lucio, D-Brownsville, and Senator Deuell worked to keep the amendment in the bill. CLEAT visited with every member of the Texas Senate and obtained a big victory when Senator Huffman, the Senate sponsor, decided not to oppose the first responder amendment. The bill passed the Senate with changes from the original House bill, so the House had to consider these changes. At first, we were led to believe that the House would concur in the Senate amendments, but without warning they did not and the bill went to a conference committee. CLEAT lobbyists had to scramble over the Memorial Day weekend to ensure that our language remained in the final version of the bill called the conference committee report. We were successful and the Legislature adopted the conference committee report on the last day they were able to do so. HB 2605 creates Sections 504.054, 504.055, and 504.056 of the Labor Code. These sections provide that first responders, including peace officers, who are seriously injured in the line of duty are entitled to expedited consideration of workers compensation claims. The law will require an employer, the Workers Compensation Division, and workers compensation insurance companies to accelerate and give priority to an injured first responder’s claim for medical benefits, including all health care required to cure or relieve the effects from a compensable injury. The law will also provide that the Workers Compensation Division shall also accelerate contested case hearings or appeals submitted by a first responder regarding a denial of a claim for medical benefits. Because of these new provisions, we believe that much of the red tape associated with these claims will be avoided. It will force the parties to review these cases more closely and make sure officers are getting the care they need, when they need it. Governor Perry signed HB 2605 and it takes effect on September 1, 2011. |
| Last Action: | 9- 1-11 G Earliest effective date |
HB 3423
| Lozano Hinojosa | Relating to certain criminal offenses committed in relation to a federal special investigator. |
| Last Action: | 9- 1-11 G Earliest effective date |
HB 3788
| Marquez Davis, Wendy | Relating to the authority of a county civil service commission to administer oaths and issue subpoenas. |
| General Remarks: | SUPPORT: Allows county civil service commission to administer oaths and issue subpoenas. |
| Last Action: | 6-17-11 G Earliest effective date |
SB 350
| Williams Truitt | Relating to the restructuring of fund obligations and accounts of the Texas Municipal Retirement System and related actuarial and accounting procedures. |
| General Remarks: | SUPPORT: TMRS fund restructure bill. |
| Last Action: | 6-17-11 G Earliest effective date |
SB 496
| Fraser Hilderbran | Relating to the punishment for the offense of evading arrest or detention. |
| General Remarks: | SUPPORT: Amends evading arrest statute to include fleeing while using a watercraft. |
| Last Action: | 9- 1-11 G Earliest effective date |
SB 530
| Huffman Miller, Sid | Relating to granting limited state law enforcement authority to special agents of the Office of Inspector General of the United States Social Security Administration and to updating certain references related to the grant of authority. |
| Last Action: | 6-17-11 G Earliest effective date |
SB 543
| Hegar Taylor, Larry | Relating to a probate fee exemption for estates of certain law enforcement officers, firefighters, and others killed in the line of duty. |
| General Remarks: | In 2010, CLEAT met with Galveston County Probate Judge Kimberly Sullivan who had a great idea. She suggested that the family of a peace officer killed in the line of duty should not have to pay the probate fees associated with probating the will and estate of the officer. This is a benefit currently enjoyed by the surivors of US military personnel killed in the line of duty. Thus, SB 543 was born. CLEAT worked with Sen. Hegar and Rep. Taylor to get this bill to the Governor’s desk. Though other organizations have claimed this bill as their own, CLEAT was the only law enforcement organization to sign up and testify for SB 543 when it was considered by the Senate Committee on Jurisprudence. CLEAT also met with Judge Sullivan during the legislative session and went with her to various legislative offices to lobby for passage of this bill. The bill takes effect on September 1, 2011. |
| Last Action: | 9- 1-11 G Earliest effective date |
SB 604
| Rodriguez Gonzalez, Naomi | Relating to the execution of lawful process by county jailers. |
| General Remarks: | SUPPORT: Allows county jailers to exercise same authority to execute process as a peace officer within the county jail, including warrants, capias, subpoena, and attachments. |
| Last Action: | 9- 1-11 G Earliest effective date |
SB 1010
| Huffman Workman | Relating to providing a victim, guardian of a victim, or close relative of a deceased victim with notice of a plea bargain agreement in certain criminal cases. |
| General Remarks: | CLEAT filed several bills to require a prosector to notify the survivors of an officers killed in the line of duty if they intend to offer a plea bargain in any case involving a defendant who was responsible for the officers death. These bills also allowed the family to make a statement to the judge in support or against the plea bargain. At the same time, Senator Huffman filed SB 1010 that requires the prosecutor to notify any victim or surviving family member of a victim if they intend to offer a plea bargaing. CLEAT supported this bill as well. SB 1010 passed and was signed by the governor. |
| Last Action: | 9- 1-11 G Earliest effective date |
SB 1233
| West Coleman | Relating to the promotion of efficiencies in and the administration of certain county services and functions. |
| General Remarks: | SUPPORT: Allows county jailers to execute lawful process. Allows peace officers to testify before a grand jury via video teleconferencing. |
| Last Action: | 6-17-11 G Earliest effective date |
SB 1285
| Watson Strama | Relating to contributions to the retirement systems for certain police officers in certain municipalities. |
| General Remarks: | AUSTIN POLICE PENSION BILL |
| Last Action: | 9- 1-11 G Earliest effective date |
SB 1286
| Watson Rodriguez | Relating to the administration and funding of retirement systems for firefighters in certain municipalities. |
| Last Action: | 9- 1-11 G Earliest effective date |
SB 1292
| Hegar Fletcher | Relating to the issuance of a driver's license to a peace officer that includes an alternative to the officer's residence address. |
| General Remarks: | SUPPORT: Allows DPS to adopt rules that would allow a peace officer to obtain a drivers license with an alternative address. |
| Last Action: | 9- 1-11 G Earliest effective date |
SB 1600
| Whitmire King, Phil | Relating to the registration of peace officers as private security officers. |
| General Remarks: | After the start of the session, CLEAT learned of a problem in Arlington involving officers working extra employment at Dallas Cowboys and Texas Rangers games. These officers were being required to register with the Private Security Board because they were technically employed by a private security company. These employees were being paid by a subsidiary company of the Cowboys or Rangers that employed all of the event staff, including private security officers that work these events. These companies had to be licensed as security companies since they employed security officers. Current law did not include an exemption for officers employed by security companies. This same problem existed in Houston and Senator Whitmire filed SB 1600 to address it. CLEAT worked with Senator Whitmire and testified about the problem in Arlington during the committee hearing. The bill passed, and makes it clear that these officers are exempt from the Private Security Act. |
| Last Action: | 6-17-11 G Earliest effective date |
SB 1638
| Davis, Wendy Geren | Relating to the exception of certain personal information from required disclosure under the public information law. |
| General Remarks: | SUPPORT: Adds emergency contact information to the employee information that is protected under the public information act. AMEND Section 552.117 and 552.1175 to add date of birth. |
| Last Action: | 6-17-11 G Earliest effective date |
SB 1687
| Ellis Coleman | Relating to information on turnover among county jail personnel. |
| General Remarks: | SUPPORT: Requires county to send report to TCJS on staffing in order to devolop risk assesment for each jail. |
| Last Action: | 9- 1-11 G Earliest effective date |
SB 1787
| Patrick, Dan Martinez Fischer | Relating to the information provided by a peace officer before requesting a specimen to determine intoxication. |
| General Remarks: | SUPPORT: Allows officer to obtain a warrant to obtain breath or urine speciman from DWI suspect. |
| Last Action: | 9- 1-11 G Earliest effective date |
SB 1887
| Harris Smith, Todd | Relating to the appointment of bailiffs in certain county criminal courts of Tarrant County. |
| General Remarks: | SUPPORT: Supported by Tarrant County SOA. |
| Last Action: | 9- 1-11 G Earliest effective date |
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