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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to a mental health leave policy for certain public safety |
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employees. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 614.015, Government Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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Sec. 614.015. MENTAL HEALTH LEAVE FOR PUBLIC SAFETY |
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EMPLOYEES [PEACE OFFICERS AND TELECOMMUNICATORS]. (a) In this |
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section, "public safety employee" means a peace officer, fire |
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fighter, detention officer, county jailer, or emergency medical |
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services employee of this state or a political subdivision of this |
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state. The term includes a person[: |
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[(1) "Law enforcement agency" means an agency of the |
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state or of a political subdivision of the state authorized by law |
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to employ peace officers. |
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[(2) "Telecommunicator" means a person] authorized to |
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act as a telecommunicator under Section 1701.405, Occupations Code, |
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or a person acting in a similar capacity under Chapter 773, Health |
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and Safety Code. |
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(b) Each entity [law enforcement agency, and each agency] of |
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the state or of a political subdivision of the state that employs a |
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public safety employee [full-time telecommunicator,] shall develop |
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and adopt a policy allowing the use of mental health leave by the |
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public safety employees [peace officers and full-time |
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telecommunicators, as applicable,] employed by the entity [agency] |
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who experience a traumatic event in the scope of that employment. |
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(c) A mental health leave policy adopted under this section |
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must: |
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(1) provide clear and objective guidelines |
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establishing the circumstances under which a public safety employee |
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[peace officer or telecommunicator] is granted and may use mental |
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health leave; |
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(2) entitle a public safety employee [peace officer or |
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telecommunicator] to mental health leave without a deduction in |
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salary or other compensation; |
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(3) enumerate the number of mental health leave days |
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available to a public safety employee [peace officer or |
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telecommunicator]; and |
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(4) detail the level of anonymity for a public safety |
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employee [peace officer or telecommunicator] who takes mental |
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health leave. |
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(d) A mental health leave policy adopted under this section |
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may provide a list of mental health services available to public |
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safety employees [peace officers and telecommunicators] in the area |
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of the [law enforcement or] employing entity [agency]. |
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SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |