HB4175 - Relating to the adoption of a mental health leave policy for certain qualified employees.

  89R12611 JBD-D     By: Lopez of Bexar H.B. No. 4175       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)   "Jailer" means:                       (A)     a county jailer as defined by Section   1701.001, Occupations Code; or                       (B)     an employee of the Texas Department of   Criminal Justice who performs a security, custodial, or supervisory   function over the admittance, confinement, or discharge of   prisoners.                 (2)     "Peace officer" means an individual described by   Article 2A.001, Code of Criminal Procedure.                 (3)  "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, including the   Texas Department of Criminal Justice [ officers ].                 (4)  "Qualified employee" means:                       (A)  a peace officer;                       (B)  a jailer;                       (C)  a telecommunicator; or                       (D)  a parole officer.                 (5)  [ (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.