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      By: Cole, Plesa H.B. No. 1896       A BILL TO BE ENTITLED   AN ACT   relating to a mental health leave policy for certain public safety   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 PUBLIC SAFETY   EMPLOYEES [ PEACE OFFICERS AND TELECOMMUNICATORS ].  (a)  In this   section , "public safety employee" means a peace officer, fire   fighter, detention officer, county jailer, or emergency medical   services employee of this state or a political subdivision of this   state. The term includes a person [ :                [ (1)     "Law enforcement agency" means an agency of the   state or of a political subdivision of the state authorized by law   to employ peace officers.                [ (2)  "Telecommunicator" means a person ] authorized to   act as a telecommunicator under Section 1701.405, Occupations Code ,   or a person acting in a similar capacity under Chapter 773, Health   and Safety Code .          (b)  Each entity [ law enforcement agency, and each agency ] of   the state or of a political subdivision of the state that employs a   public safety employee [ full-time telecommunicator, ] shall develop   and adopt a policy allowing the use of mental health leave by the   public safety employees [ peace officers and full-time   telecommunicators, as applicable, ] employed by the entity [ agency ]   who 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 public safety employee   [ peace officer or telecommunicator ] is granted and may use mental   health leave;                (2)  entitle a public safety 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 public safety employee [ peace officer or   telecommunicator ]; and                (4)  detail the level of anonymity for a public safety   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 public   safety employees [ peace officers and telecommunicators ] in the area   of the [ law enforcement or ] employing entity [ agency ].          SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.