Laserfiche WebLink
<br />'HE MEET AND CONFER BILLS: WliAT THEY DO AND WHAT THEY DQN'T DO <br /> <br />Page 1 0[2 <br /> <br /> <br />Legislative <br /> <br />Legislative Services <br /> <br />I Click Here] <br /> <br />THE MEET AND CONFER BILLS: WHAT THEY DO AND <br />WHAT THEY DON'T DO <br /> <br />The legislature recently passed H.B. 304 and H.B. 2892, which grant certain cities the <br />discretion to meet and confer with police and/or fire associations. The following is a brief <br />summary of the bills, which have been signed by the governor and will become effective on <br />September 1, 2005. <br /> <br />The bills apply to any city with a population of 50,000 or more and to cities that have <br />adopted Chapter 143 of the Local Government Code (fire/police civil service), except that <br />the bills do not apply to cities that have adopted Chapter 174 of the Local Government Code <br />(collective bargaining), nor to Austin, Houston, or Dallas. <br /> <br />If a municipal governing body receives a petition from a police or fire association signed by a <br />majority of the members requesting recognition as their sole bargaining agent, the governing <br />body shall either: <br /> <br />. recognize the association and authorize itself to meet and confer with the association; or <br />. order a certification election on the question of whether the association represents a majority of <br />the affected police or fire personnel, or <br />. order an election by the city's voters on the question of whether the association and the city <br />may meet and confer. <br /> <br />If the council opts for a certification election and that election reveals that the association <br />does in fact represent a majority of the police or fire personnel, the governing body shall <br />either: <br /> <br />. recognize the association and authorize itself to meet and confer with the association; or <br />. order an election by the city's voters on the question of whether the association and the city <br />may meet and confer. <br /> <br />If the city council calls for an election of the people: <br /> <br />a. the election must be held at the next regularly scheduled election for municipal officials; <br />and <br />b. there may not be another election on the same topic for at least two years. <br />http://www.tm1.org/leg_updates/legis_update062105d_meet.htm <br /> <br />7/171200( <br />