BILL ANALYSIS H.B. 2467 By: VanDeaver Delivery of Government Efficiency Committee Report (Unamended) BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE The state fire marshal's office (SFMO) within the Texas Department of Insurance commissions peace officers to act as fire and arson investigators and to perform other law enforcement duties. While these investigators are required to be certified as peace officers by the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement, they are currently compensated under Salary Schedule B, creating a pay disparity between them and other law enforcement officers classified under Salary Schedule C. The bill author has informed the committee that this consistent undercompensation has led to recruitment and retention challenges within the SFMO and that a salary schedule adjustment is necessary to both address these staffing shortages and ensure equitable compensation for SFMO investigators. H.B. 2467 seeks to resolve this issue by reclassifying the salary schedule of SFMO investigators and requiring the commissioner of insurance to ensure that peace officers commissioned as fire and arson investigators are compensated according to Salary Schedule C, as prescribed by the General Appropriations Act. CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution. ANALYSIS H.B. 2467 amends the Government Code to require the commissioner of insurance to ensure that a peace officer commissioned by the state fire marshal is compensated according to Schedule C of the position classification salary schedule prescribed by the General Appropriations Act. H.B. 2467 includes a commissioned law enforcement officer of the state fire marshal among the individuals considered a state employee for purposes of hazardous duty pay. H.B. 2467 makes a peace officer commissioned by the state fire marshal eligible for the special injury leave for certain peace officers, applicable to an injury that occurs on or after the bill's effective date. H.B. 2467 directs the classification officer in the office of the state auditor to classify the position of commissioned peace officer employed as an investigator by the state fire marshal's office as a Schedule C position under the state position classification plan. The change made by the classification officer applies beginning with the 2026-2027 state fiscal biennium. EFFECTIVE DATE September 1, 2025.
BILL ANALYSIS
# BILL ANALYSIS
H.B. 2467
By: VanDeaver
Delivery of Government Efficiency
Committee Report (Unamended)
H.B. 2467
By: VanDeaver
Delivery of Government Efficiency
Committee Report (Unamended)
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE The state fire marshal's office (SFMO) within the Texas Department of Insurance commissions peace officers to act as fire and arson investigators and to perform other law enforcement duties. While these investigators are required to be certified as peace officers by the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement, they are currently compensated under Salary Schedule B, creating a pay disparity between them and other law enforcement officers classified under Salary Schedule C. The bill author has informed the committee that this consistent undercompensation has led to recruitment and retention challenges within the SFMO and that a salary schedule adjustment is necessary to both address these staffing shortages and ensure equitable compensation for SFMO investigators. H.B. 2467 seeks to resolve this issue by reclassifying the salary schedule of SFMO investigators and requiring the commissioner of insurance to ensure that peace officers commissioned as fire and arson investigators are compensated according to Salary Schedule C, as prescribed by the General Appropriations Act.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.
ANALYSIS H.B. 2467 amends the Government Code to require the commissioner of insurance to ensure that a peace officer commissioned by the state fire marshal is compensated according to Schedule C of the position classification salary schedule prescribed by the General Appropriations Act. H.B. 2467 includes a commissioned law enforcement officer of the state fire marshal among the individuals considered a state employee for purposes of hazardous duty pay. H.B. 2467 makes a peace officer commissioned by the state fire marshal eligible for the special injury leave for certain peace officers, applicable to an injury that occurs on or after the bill's effective date. H.B. 2467 directs the classification officer in the office of the state auditor to classify the position of commissioned peace officer employed as an investigator by the state fire marshal's office as a Schedule C position under the state position classification plan. The change made by the classification officer applies beginning with the 2026-2027 state fiscal biennium.
EFFECTIVE DATE September 1, 2025.
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE
The state fire marshal's office (SFMO) within the Texas Department of Insurance commissions peace officers to act as fire and arson investigators and to perform other law enforcement duties. While these investigators are required to be certified as peace officers by the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement, they are currently compensated under Salary Schedule B, creating a pay disparity between them and other law enforcement officers classified under Salary Schedule C. The bill author has informed the committee that this consistent undercompensation has led to recruitment and retention challenges within the SFMO and that a salary schedule adjustment is necessary to both address these staffing shortages and ensure equitable compensation for SFMO investigators. H.B. 2467 seeks to resolve this issue by reclassifying the salary schedule of SFMO investigators and requiring the commissioner of insurance to ensure that peace officers commissioned as fire and arson investigators are compensated according to Salary Schedule C, as prescribed by the General Appropriations Act.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT
It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY
It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.
ANALYSIS
H.B. 2467 amends the Government Code to require the commissioner of insurance to ensure that a peace officer commissioned by the state fire marshal is compensated according to Schedule C of the position classification salary schedule prescribed by the General Appropriations Act.
H.B. 2467 includes a commissioned law enforcement officer of the state fire marshal among the individuals considered a state employee for purposes of hazardous duty pay.
H.B. 2467 makes a peace officer commissioned by the state fire marshal eligible for the special injury leave for certain peace officers, applicable to an injury that occurs on or after the bill's effective date.
H.B. 2467 directs the classification officer in the office of the state auditor to classify the position of commissioned peace officer employed as an investigator by the state fire marshal's office as a Schedule C position under the state position classification plan. The change made by the classification officer applies beginning with the 2026-2027 state fiscal biennium.
EFFECTIVE DATE
September 1, 2025.