Texas 2025 - 89th Regular

Texas House Bill HB3420 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	89R14619 DNC-D
2	2	By: Campos H.B. No. 3420
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7	7	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
8	8	AN ACT
9	9	relating to certain mental health policies and services for peace
10	10	officers, fire fighters, and telecommunicators.
11	11	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
12	12	SECTION 1. The heading to Subchapter A-1, Chapter 614,
13	13	Government Code, is amended to read as follows:
14	14	SUBCHAPTER A-1. MENTAL HEALTH OF PEACE OFFICERS, FIRE FIGHTERS,
15	15	AND TELECOMMUNICATORS [LEAVE]
16	16	SECTION 2. Subchapter A-1, Chapter 614, Government Code, is
17	17	amended by adding Section 614.014 to read as follows:
18	18	Sec. 614.014. DEFINITIONS. In this subchapter:
19	19	(1) "Employer" means a governmental entity that
20	20	employs or appoints a peace officer, fire fighter, or
21	21	telecommunicator or that the peace officer or fire fighter is
22	22	elected to serve.
23	23	(2) "Fire fighter" and "peace officer" have the
24	24	meanings assigned by Section 614.001.
25	25	(3) "Telecommunicator" means a person authorized to
26	26	act as a telecommunicator under Section 1701.405, Occupations Code.
27	27	SECTION 3. Section 614.015, Government Code, is amended to
28	28	read as follows:
29	29	Sec. 614.015. MENTAL HEALTH LEAVE FOR PEACE OFFICERS, FIRE
30	30	FIGHTERS, AND TELECOMMUNICATORS. (a) [In this section:
31	31	[(1) "Law enforcement agency" means an agency of the
32	32	state or of a political subdivision of the state authorized by law
33	33	to employ peace officers.
34	34	[(2) "Telecommunicator" means a person authorized to
35	35	act as a telecommunicator under Section 1701.405, Occupations Code.
36	36	[(b)] Each employer [law enforcement agency, and each
37	37	agency of the state or of a political subdivision of the state that
38	38	employs a full-time telecommunicator,] shall develop and adopt a
39	39	policy allowing the use of mental health leave by the employer's
40	40	peace officers, fire fighters, and full-time telecommunicators, as
41	41	applicable, [employed by the agency] who experience a traumatic
42	42	event in the scope of performing their duties as peace officers,
43	43	fire fighters, and telecommunicators for the employer [that
44	44	employment].
45	45	(b) [(c)] A mental health leave policy adopted under this
46	46	section must:
47	47	(1) provide clear and objective guidelines
48	48	establishing the circumstances under which a peace officer, fire
49	49	fighter, or telecommunicator is granted and may use mental health
50	50	leave;
51	51	(2) entitle a peace officer, fire fighter, or
52	52	telecommunicator to mental health leave without a deduction in
53	53	salary or other compensation;
54	54	(3) enumerate the number of mental health leave days
55	55	available to a peace officer, fire fighter, or telecommunicator;
56	56	and
57	57	(4) detail the level of anonymity for a peace officer,
58	58	fire fighter, or telecommunicator who takes mental health leave.
59	59	(c) [(d)] A mental health leave policy adopted under this
60	60	section may provide a list of mental health services available to
61	61	peace officers, fire fighters, and telecommunicators in the area
62	62	where the employer is located [of the law enforcement or employing
63	63	agency].
64	64	SECTION 4. Subchapter A-1, Chapter 614, Government Code, is
65	65	amended by adding Section 614.016 to read as follows:
66	66	Sec. 614.016. MENTAL HEALTH EVALUATIONS FOR PEACE OFFICERS
67	67	AND FIRE FIGHTERS. (a) In this section, "peer support advisor"
68	68	means an individual appointed by the individual's employer to
69	69	provide confidential support and assistance to a peace officer or
70	70	fire fighter who experiences a traumatic event in the scope of
71	71	performing their duties as a peace officer or fire fighter for the
72	72	employer.
73	73	(b) Each employer shall ensure that a mental health
74	74	professional or peer support advisor performs an annual mental
75	75	health evaluation of each of the employer's peace officers and fire
76	76	fighters as part of the peace officer's or fire fighter's
77	77	performance review.
78	78	(c) Each employer shall provide a peace officer or fire
79	79	fighter who experiences a traumatic event in the scope of
80	80	performing their duties as a peace officer or fire fighter for the
81	81	employer:
82	82	(1) a mental health evaluation performed by a mental
83	83	health professional or peer support advisor; and
84	84	(2) an opportunity to receive mental health
85	85	counseling.
86	86	SECTION 5. (a) As soon as practicable after the effective
87	87	date of this Act, each employer, as defined by Section 614.014,
88	88	Government Code, as added by this Act, shall develop a mental health
89	89	leave policy required by Section 614.015, Government Code, as
90	90	amended by this Act.
91	91	(b) Section 614.016(b), Government Code, as added by this
92	92	Act, applies only to a performance review of a peace officer or fire
93	93	fighter conducted on or after the effective date of this Act.
94	94	(c) Section 614.016(c), Government Code, as added by this
95	95	Act, applies only to a traumatic event that occurs on or after the
96	96	effective date of this Act.
97	97	SECTION 6. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.