89R9170 JBD-D
By: Ashby H.B. No. 2103
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to the adoption of a mental health leave policy for certain
jailers.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Section 614.015, Government Code, is amended to
read as follows:
Sec. 614.015. MENTAL HEALTH LEAVE FOR PEACE OFFICERS,
JAILERS, AND TELECOMMUNICATORS. (a) In this section:
(1) "Law enforcement agency" means an agency of the
state or of a political subdivision of the state authorized by law
to employ peace officers.
(2) "Telecommunicator" means a person authorized to
act as a telecommunicator under Section 1701.405, Occupations Code.
(3) "Jailer" means:
(A) a county jailer as defined by Section
1701.001, Occupations Code; or
(B) an employee of the Texas Department of
Criminal Justice who performs a security, custodial, or supervisory
function over the admittance, confinement, or discharge of
prisoners.
(b) Each law enforcement agency, and each agency of the
state or of a political subdivision of the state that employs a
jailer or full-time telecommunicator, shall develop and adopt a
policy allowing the use of mental health leave by the peace
officers, jailers, and full-time telecommunicators, as applicable,
employed by the agency who experience a traumatic event in the scope
of that employment.
(c) A mental health leave policy adopted under this section
must:
(1) provide clear and objective guidelines
establishing the circumstances under which a peace officer, jailer,
or telecommunicator is granted and may use mental health leave;
(2) entitle a peace officer, jailer, or
telecommunicator to mental health leave without a deduction in
salary or other compensation;
(3) enumerate the number of mental health leave days
available to a peace officer, jailer, or telecommunicator; and
(4) detail the level of anonymity for a peace officer,
jailer, or telecommunicator who takes mental health leave.
(d) A mental health leave policy adopted under this section
may provide a list of mental health services available to peace
officers, jailers, and telecommunicators in the area of the law
enforcement or employing agency.
SECTION 2. As soon as practicable after the effective date
of this Act, each agency required to adopt a mental health leave
policy under Section 614.015, Government Code, as amended by this
Act, shall adopt a mental health leave policy as prescribed by that
section.
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.