Texas 2023 - 88th Regular

Texas House Bill HB2927 Compare Versions

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1	1	88R22494 MCK-F
2	2	By: Turner H.B. No. 2927
3	3
4	4
5	5	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
6	6	AN ACT
7	7	relating to quarantine leave for certain public safety employees.
8	8	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
9	9	SECTION 1. Chapter 607, Government Code, is amended by
10	10	adding Subchapter D to read as follows:
11	11	SUBCHAPTER D. QUARANTINE LEAVE FOR CERTAIN PUBLIC SAFETY EMPLOYEES
12	12	Sec. 607.151. DEFINITIONS. (a) In this subchapter:
13	13	(1) "Detention officer" means an individual employed
14	14	by the state to ensure the safekeeping of prisoners and the security
15	15	of a state penal institution in this state.
16	16	(2) "Emergency medical technician" means an
17	17	individual who is:
18	18	(A) certified as an emergency medical technician
19	19	under Chapter 773, Health and Safety Code; and
20	20	(B) employed by the state.
21	21	(3) "Firefighter" means a paid employee of the state
22	22	who:
23	23	(A) holds a position that requires substantial
24	24	knowledge of firefighting;
25	25	(B) has met the requirements for certification by
26	26	the Texas Commission on Fire Protection under Chapter 419; and
27	27	(C) performs a function listed in Section
28	28	143.003(4)(A), Local Government Code.
29	29	(4) "Health authority" has the meaning assigned by
30	30	Section 121.021, Health and Safety Code.
31	31	(5) "Ordered to quarantine or isolate" means any
32	32	circumstance in which a person is not permitted to continue working
33	33	due to:
34	34	(A) a written or verbal directive by a health
35	35	authority or the employee's supervisor ordering the person to
36	36	refrain from reporting to duty after displaying symptoms of a
37	37	communicable disease; or
38	38	(B) a written or verbal directive by a health
39	39	authority or the employee's supervisor ordering the person to
40	40	refrain from reporting to duty after being exposed to a
41	41	communicable disease that is a presumptive illness under this
42	42	chapter.
43	43	(6) "Peace officer" means an individual described by
44	44	Article 2.12, Code of Criminal Procedure, who is elected for,
45	45	employed by, or appointed by the state.
46	46	(b) Notwithstanding Section 607.001, in this subchapter,
47	47	"public safety employee" means a detention officer, emergency
48	48	medical technician, firefighter, or peace officer.
49	49	Sec. 607.152. PAID QUARANTINE LEAVE FOR CERTAIN PUBLIC
50	50	SAFETY EMPLOYEES. (a) A state agency that employs public safety
51	51	employees shall develop and implement a paid quarantine leave
52	52	policy for public safety employees who are ordered to quarantine or
53	53	isolate.
54	54	(b) A paid quarantine leave policy must provide that a
55	55	public safety employee ordered to quarantine or isolate receive:
56	56	(1) all employment benefits and compensation,
57	57	including leave accrual, pension benefits, and health benefit plan
58	58	benefits for the duration of the leave; and
59	59	(2) reimbursement for reasonable costs related to the
60	60	quarantine, including lodging, medical, and transportation.
61	61	(c) The state agency may not reduce a public safety
62	62	employee's sick leave balance, vacation leave balance, or other
63	63	paid leave balance in connection with paid quarantine leave taken
64	64	in accordance with a policy adopted under this section.
65	65	SECTION 2. Section 180.008(a), Local Government Code, as
66	66	added by Chapter 685 (H.B. 2073), Acts of the 87th Legislature,
67	67	Regular Session, 2021, is amended by adding Subdivision (4-a) to
68	68	read as follows:
69	69	(4-a) "Ordered to quarantine or isolate" means any
70	70	circumstance in which a person is not permitted to continue working
71	71	due to:
72	72	(A) a written or verbal directive by a health
73	73	authority or the employee's supervisor ordering the person to
74	74	refrain from reporting to duty after displaying symptoms of a
75	75	communicable disease; or
76	76	(B) a written or verbal directive by a health
77	77	authority or the employee's supervisor ordering the person to
78	78	refrain from reporting to duty after being exposed to a
79	79	communicable disease that is a presumptive illness under this
80	80	chapter.
81	81	SECTION 3. Section 180.008(b), Local Government Code, as
82	82	added by Chapter 685 (H.B. 2073), Acts of the 87th Legislature,
83	83	Regular Session, 2021, is amended to read as follows:
84	84	(b) The governing body of a political subdivision shall
85	85	develop and implement a paid quarantine leave policy for fire
86	86	fighters, peace officers, detention officers, and emergency
87	87	medical technicians who are employed by, appointed by, or elected
88	88	for the political subdivision and ordered to quarantine or isolate
89	89	[due to a possible or known exposure to a communicable disease while
90	90	on duty].
91	91	SECTION 4. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
92	92	a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
93	93	provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
94	94	Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
95	95	Act takes effect September 1, 2023.