Bill > HB4205

This bill makes several modifications to Texas Local Government Code related to law enforcement compensation and employment benefits, focusing primarily on counties with populations over 3.3 million (which would include Harris County/Houston). The bill expands the definition of "police officer" to include those certified or licensed by the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement, and also includes investigators in district attorneys' offices and county fire marshals. It requires that when a county commissioners court increases compensation or employment benefits for one class of police officers, they must provide equivalent increases to all police officers within that class who are primarily funded by the county. The bill mandates that counties must provide funding for these compensation increases and prohibits reducing any law enforcement agency's budget as a result of these mandated benefit increases. Additionally, the bill clarifies that "political subdivision" includes both municipalities and counties, and expands the definition of "public employer" to explicitly include commissioners court. The changes will take effect on September 1, 2025, and apply only to compensation increases adopted by the county commissioners court on or after that date.