89R14004 JBD-D
By: Harless H.B. No. 4205
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to compensation and employment benefits for law
enforcement personnel in certain counties.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Sections 174.003(3), (4), and (5), Local
Government Code, are amended to read as follows:
(3) "Police officer" means a paid employee who is
sworn, certified or licensed by the Texas Commission on Law
Enforcement, and full-time, and who regularly serves in a
professional law enforcement capacity in the police department of a
political subdivision, the office of a district attorney as an
investigator, or the office of the county fire marshal. The term
does not include the chief of the department.
(4) "Political subdivision" includes a municipality
and a county.
(5) "Public employer" means the official or group of
officials of a political subdivision whose duty is to establish the
compensation, hours, and other conditions of employment of fire
fighters, police officers, or both, and may include the mayor, city
manager, town manager, town administrator, municipal governing
body, director of personnel, personnel board, commissioners,
commissioners court, or another official or combination of those
persons.
SECTION 2. Section 174.005, Local Government Code, is
amended to read as follows:
Sec. 174.005. PREEMPTION OF OTHER LAW. This chapter
preempts all contrary local ordinances, executive orders,
legislation, or rules adopted by the state or by a political
subdivision or agent of the state, including a personnel board,
civil service commission, commissioners court, or home-rule
municipality.
SECTION 3. Subchapter Z, Chapter 152, Local Government
Code, is amended by adding Section 152.908 to read as follows:
Sec. 152.908. COMPENSATION PARITY FOR POLICE OFFICERS IN
CERTAIN COUNTIES. (a) In this section, "police officer" has the
meaning assigned by Section 174.003.
(b) This section applies only to a county with a population
of 3.3 million or more.
(c) If the commissioners court of a county increases the
compensation or employment benefits for a class of police officers,
the commissioners court must increase by the same amount the
compensation or employment benefits to all police officers that are
within that class and who receive their compensation and employment
benefits primarily through county funding.
(d) The commissioners court of a county:
(1) shall provide funding to each law enforcement
agency, office, or department of the county necessary to provide
the increase in compensation or employment benefits required by
Subsection (c); and
(2) may not reduce a component of the budget of a law
enforcement agency, office, or department as a result of the
increase in compensation or employment benefits required by
Subsection (c).
SECTION 4. Section 152.908, Local Government Code, as added
by this Act, applies only to an increase in the compensation or
employment benefits for a class of police officers, as defined by
that section, that is adopted by the commissioners court of the
county on or after the effective date of this Act.
SECTION 5. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.