89R14105 JBD-F
By: Hinojosa of Nueces S.B. No. 1604
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to the adoption of a mental health leave policy for certain
qualified employees.
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 QUALIFIED EMPLOYEES
OF CERTAIN AGENCIES [PEACE OFFICERS AND TELECOMMUNICATORS]. (a)
In this section:
(1) "Peace officer" means an individual described by
Article 2A.001, Code of Criminal Procedure.
(2) "Qualified agency" ["Law enforcement agency"]
means an agency of the state or of a political subdivision of the
state authorized [by law] to employ a peace officer [officers].
(3) "Qualified employee" means:
(A) a peace officer;
(B) a telecommunicator;
(C) a criminal intelligence analyst; or
(D) a crime analyst.
(4) [(2)] "Telecommunicator" means a person
authorized to act as a telecommunicator under Section 1701.405,
Occupations Code.
(b) Each qualified agency [law enforcement agency, and each
agency of the state or of a political subdivision of the state] that
employs a qualified employee [a full-time telecommunicator,] shall
develop and adopt a policy allowing the use of mental health leave
by the qualified employee [peace officers and full-time
telecommunicators, as applicable, employed by the agency] who
experiences [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 qualified employee
[peace officer or telecommunicator] is granted and may use mental
health leave;
(2) entitle a qualified employee [peace officer 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 qualified employee [peace officer or
telecommunicator]; and
(4) detail the level of anonymity for a qualified
employee [peace officer 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 a
qualified employee [peace officers 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.