2011S0654-1 03/09/11
By: Hegar S.B. No. 1477
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to differential pay and benefits for certain employees of
emergency services districts who are members of the military.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 431, Government Code, is
amended by adding Section 431.019 to read as follows:
Sec. 431.019. DIFFERENTIAL PAY AND BENEFITS FOR EMPLOYEES
OF EMERGENCY SERVICES DISTRICTS. (a) Except as provided by
Subsection (b), a person who is an officer or employee of an
emergency services district and who is a member of the state
military forces or a reserve component of the state or federal armed
forces may be provided differential pay, provided that the
governing body of the district, in its sole discretion, votes to
provide such differential pay and the employee's military pay is
less than the employee's gross pay from the emergency services
district, through a policy covering all similarly situated
employees. The combination of differential pay and military pay
may not exceed the employee's actual gross pay from the emergency
services district.
(b) For purposes of Subsection (a), military pay does not
include money the employee receives:
(1) for service in a combat zone;
(2) as hardship pay; or
(3) for being separated from the employee's family.
(c) The differential pay provided by Subsection (a) shall
begin when the benefits allowed under Section 431.005 are exhausted
and continue until the employee's active military duty terminates.
(d) In addition to the differential pay provided by
Subsection (a), an employee of an emergency services district who
is a member of the state military forces or a reserve component of
the state or federal armed forces may be provided an extension of
the employee's and the employee's dependents' insurance benefits
provided by the political subdivision if the governing body of the
district votes to provide such benefit. The time period for
extension of these insurance benefits shall begin when the benefits
allowed under Section 431.005 are exhausted and continue until the
employee's active military duty terminates.
SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2011.