| 1 | 1 | | 89R9170 JBD-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Ashby H.B. No. 2103 |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | |
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| 6 | 6 | | |
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| 7 | 7 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 8 | 8 | | AN ACT |
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| 9 | 9 | | relating to the adoption of a mental health leave policy for certain |
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| 10 | 10 | | jailers. |
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| 11 | 11 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 12 | 12 | | SECTION 1. Section 614.015, Government Code, is amended to |
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| 13 | 13 | | read as follows: |
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| 14 | 14 | | Sec. 614.015. MENTAL HEALTH LEAVE FOR PEACE OFFICERS, |
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| 15 | 15 | | JAILERS, AND TELECOMMUNICATORS. (a) In this section: |
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| 16 | 16 | | (1) "Law enforcement agency" means an agency of the |
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| 17 | 17 | | state or of a political subdivision of the state authorized by law |
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| 18 | 18 | | to employ peace officers. |
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| 19 | 19 | | (2) "Telecommunicator" means a person authorized to |
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| 20 | 20 | | act as a telecommunicator under Section 1701.405, Occupations Code. |
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| 21 | 21 | | (3) "Jailer" means: |
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| 22 | 22 | | (A) a county jailer as defined by Section |
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| 23 | 23 | | 1701.001, Occupations Code; or |
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| 24 | 24 | | (B) an employee of the Texas Department of |
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| 25 | 25 | | Criminal Justice who performs a security, custodial, or supervisory |
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| 26 | 26 | | function over the admittance, confinement, or discharge of |
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| 27 | 27 | | prisoners. |
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| 28 | 28 | | (b) Each law enforcement agency, and each agency of the |
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| 29 | 29 | | state or of a political subdivision of the state that employs a |
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| 30 | 30 | | jailer or full-time telecommunicator, shall develop and adopt a |
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| 31 | 31 | | policy allowing the use of mental health leave by the peace |
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| 32 | 32 | | officers, jailers, and full-time telecommunicators, as applicable, |
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| 33 | 33 | | employed by the agency who experience a traumatic event in the scope |
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| 34 | 34 | | of that employment. |
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| 35 | 35 | | (c) A mental health leave policy adopted under this section |
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| 36 | 36 | | must: |
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| 37 | 37 | | (1) provide clear and objective guidelines |
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| 38 | 38 | | establishing the circumstances under which a peace officer, jailer, |
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| 39 | 39 | | or telecommunicator is granted and may use mental health leave; |
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| 40 | 40 | | (2) entitle a peace officer, jailer, or |
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| 41 | 41 | | telecommunicator to mental health leave without a deduction in |
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| 42 | 42 | | salary or other compensation; |
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| 43 | 43 | | (3) enumerate the number of mental health leave days |
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| 44 | 44 | | available to a peace officer, jailer, or telecommunicator; and |
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| 45 | 45 | | (4) detail the level of anonymity for a peace officer, |
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| 46 | 46 | | jailer, or telecommunicator who takes mental health leave. |
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| 47 | 47 | | (d) A mental health leave policy adopted under this section |
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| 48 | 48 | | may provide a list of mental health services available to peace |
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| 49 | 49 | | officers, jailers, and telecommunicators in the area of the law |
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| 50 | 50 | | enforcement or employing agency. |
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| 51 | 51 | | SECTION 2. As soon as practicable after the effective date |
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| 52 | 52 | | of this Act, each agency required to adopt a mental health leave |
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| 53 | 53 | | policy under Section 614.015, Government Code, as amended by this |
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| 54 | 54 | | Act, shall adopt a mental health leave policy as prescribed by that |
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| 55 | 55 | | section. |
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| 56 | 56 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |
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