| 1 | 1 | | 89R14105 JBD-F |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Hinojosa of Nueces S.B. No. 1604 |
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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 | | qualified employees. |
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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 QUALIFIED EMPLOYEES |
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| 15 | 15 | | OF CERTAIN AGENCIES [PEACE OFFICERS AND TELECOMMUNICATORS]. (a) |
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| 16 | 16 | | In this section: |
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| 17 | 17 | | (1) "Peace officer" means an individual described by |
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| 18 | 18 | | Article 2A.001, Code of Criminal Procedure. |
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| 19 | 19 | | (2) "Qualified agency" ["Law enforcement agency"] |
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| 20 | 20 | | means an agency of the state or of a political subdivision of the |
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| 21 | 21 | | state authorized [by law] to employ a peace officer [officers]. |
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| 22 | 22 | | (3) "Qualified employee" means: |
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| 23 | 23 | | (A) a peace officer; |
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| 24 | 24 | | (B) a telecommunicator; |
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| 25 | 25 | | (C) a criminal intelligence analyst; or |
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| 26 | 26 | | (D) a crime analyst. |
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| 27 | 27 | | (4) [(2)] "Telecommunicator" means a person |
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| 28 | 28 | | authorized to act as a telecommunicator under Section 1701.405, |
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| 29 | 29 | | Occupations Code. |
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| 30 | 30 | | (b) Each qualified agency [law enforcement agency, and each |
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| 31 | 31 | | agency of the state or of a political subdivision of the state] that |
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| 32 | 32 | | employs a qualified employee [a full-time telecommunicator,] shall |
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| 33 | 33 | | develop and adopt a policy allowing the use of mental health leave |
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| 34 | 34 | | by the qualified employee [peace officers and full-time |
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| 35 | 35 | | telecommunicators, as applicable, employed by the agency] who |
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| 36 | 36 | | experiences [experience] a traumatic event in the scope of that |
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| 37 | 37 | | employment. |
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| 38 | 38 | | (c) A mental health leave policy adopted under this section |
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| 39 | 39 | | must: |
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| 40 | 40 | | (1) provide clear and objective guidelines |
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| 41 | 41 | | establishing the circumstances under which a qualified employee |
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| 42 | 42 | | [peace officer or telecommunicator] is granted and may use mental |
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| 43 | 43 | | health leave; |
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| 44 | 44 | | (2) entitle a qualified employee [peace officer or |
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| 45 | 45 | | telecommunicator] to mental health leave without a deduction in |
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| 46 | 46 | | salary or other compensation; |
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| 47 | 47 | | (3) enumerate the number of mental health leave days |
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| 48 | 48 | | available to a qualified employee [peace officer or |
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| 49 | 49 | | telecommunicator]; and |
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| 50 | 50 | | (4) detail the level of anonymity for a qualified |
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| 51 | 51 | | employee [peace officer or telecommunicator] who takes mental |
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| 52 | 52 | | health leave. |
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| 53 | 53 | | (d) A mental health leave policy adopted under this section |
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| 54 | 54 | | may provide a list of mental health services available to a |
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| 55 | 55 | | qualified employee [peace officers and telecommunicators in the |
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| 56 | 56 | | area of the law enforcement or employing agency]. |
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| 57 | 57 | | SECTION 2. As soon as practicable after the effective date |
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| 58 | 58 | | of this Act, each agency required to adopt a mental health leave |
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| 59 | 59 | | policy under Section 614.015, Government Code, as amended by this |
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| 60 | 60 | | Act, shall adopt a mental health leave policy as prescribed by that |
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| 61 | 61 | | section. |
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| 62 | 62 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |
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