| 4 | 6 | | AN ACT |
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| 5 | 7 | | relating to adoption by law enforcement agencies of a mental health |
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| 6 | 8 | | leave policy for peace officers. |
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| 7 | 9 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 8 | 10 | | SECTION 1. Chapter 614, Government Code, is amended by |
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| 9 | 11 | | adding Subchapter A-1 to read as follows: |
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| 10 | 12 | | SUBCHAPTER A-1. MENTAL HEALTH LEAVE |
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| 11 | 13 | | Sec. 614.015. MENTAL HEALTH LEAVE FOR PEACE OFFICERS. (a) |
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| 12 | 14 | | In this section, "law enforcement agency" means an agency of the |
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| 13 | 15 | | state or an agency of a political subdivision of the state |
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| 14 | 16 | | authorized by law to employ peace officers. |
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| 15 | 17 | | (b) Each law enforcement agency shall develop and adopt a |
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| 16 | 18 | | policy allowing the use of mental health leave by the peace officers |
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| 17 | 19 | | employed by the agency who experience a traumatic event in the scope |
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| 18 | 20 | | of that employment. |
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| 19 | 21 | | (c) The mental health leave policy adopted under this |
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| 20 | 22 | | section must: |
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| 21 | 23 | | (1) provide clear and objective guidelines |
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| 22 | 24 | | establishing the circumstances under which a peace officer is |
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| 23 | 25 | | granted mental health leave and may use mental health leave; |
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| 24 | 26 | | (2) entitle a peace officer to mental health leave |
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| 25 | 27 | | without a deduction in salary or other compensation; |
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| 26 | 28 | | (3) enumerate the number of mental health leave days |
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| 27 | 29 | | available to a peace officer; and |
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| 28 | 30 | | (4) detail the level of anonymity for a peace officer |
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| 29 | 31 | | who takes mental health leave. |
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| 30 | 32 | | (d) The mental health leave policy adopted under this |
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| 31 | 33 | | section may provide a list of mental health services available to |
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| 32 | 34 | | peace officers in the area of the law enforcement agency. |
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| 33 | 35 | | SECTION 2. As soon as practicable after the effective date |
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| 34 | 36 | | of this Act, each law enforcement agency shall develop the mental |
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| 35 | 37 | | health leave policy required by Section 614.015, Government Code, |
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| 36 | 38 | | as added by this Act. |
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| 37 | 39 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2021. |
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| 38 | | - | ______________________________ ______________________________ |
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| 39 | | - | President of the Senate Speaker of the House |
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| 40 | | - | I hereby certify that S.B. No. 1359 passed the Senate on |
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| 41 | | - | April 29, 2021, by the following vote: Yeas 31, Nays 0. |
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| 42 | | - | ______________________________ |
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| 43 | | - | Secretary of the Senate |
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| 44 | | - | I hereby certify that S.B. No. 1359 passed the House on |
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| 45 | | - | May 23, 2021, by the following vote: Yeas 140, Nays 5, two present |
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| 46 | | - | not voting. |
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| 47 | | - | ______________________________ |
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| 48 | | - | Chief Clerk of the House |
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| 49 | | - | Approved: |
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| 50 | | - | ______________________________ |
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| 51 | | - | Date |
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| 52 | | - | ______________________________ |
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| 53 | | - | Governor |
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