Bill Text: TX SB736 | 2023-2024 | 88th Legislature | Enrolled
Bill Title: Relating to mandatory arbitration for certain municipal fire departments and employee bargaining agents.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 3-0)
Status: (Passed) 2023-06-02 - Effective immediately [SB736 Detail]
Download: Texas-2023-SB736-Enrolled.html
| S.B. No. 736 | ||
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| relating to mandatory arbitration for certain municipal fire | ||
| departments and employee bargaining agents. | ||
| BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
| SECTION 1. Section 174.153(a), Local Government Code, is | ||
| amended to read as follows: | ||
| (a) Except as provided by Section 174.1535, a [ |
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| employer or an association that is a bargaining agent may request | ||
| the appointment of an arbitration board if: | ||
| (1) the parties: | ||
| (A) reach an impasse in collective bargaining; or | ||
| (B) are unable to settle after the appropriate | ||
| lawmaking body fails to approve a contract reached through | ||
| collective bargaining; | ||
| (2) the parties made every reasonable effort, | ||
| including mediation, to settle the dispute through good-faith | ||
| collective bargaining; and | ||
| (3) the public employer or association gives written | ||
| notice to the other party, specifying the issue in dispute. | ||
| SECTION 2. Subchapter E, Chapter 174, Local Government | ||
| Code, is amended by adding Section 174.1535 to read as follows: | ||
| Sec. 174.1535. MANDATORY ARBITRATION. (a) This section | ||
| applies only to: | ||
| (1) a fire department that serves a municipality with | ||
| a population of 1.9 million or more; and | ||
| (2) an association that is a bargaining agent for the | ||
| employees of a fire department described by Subdivision (1). | ||
| (b) A public employer and an association that is a | ||
| bargaining agent shall submit to binding interest arbitration if | ||
| the parties: | ||
| (1) reach an impasse in collective bargaining; or | ||
| (2) are unable to settle after the 61st day after the | ||
| date the appropriate lawmaking body fails to approve a contract | ||
| reached through collective bargaining. | ||
| (c) Each party shall send to the other party a written | ||
| notice specifying each issue in dispute for purposes of binding | ||
| arbitration not later than the fifth day after: | ||
| (1) the date an impasse was reached under Section | ||
| 174.152; | ||
| (2) the expiration of an extension period under | ||
| Section 174.152; or | ||
| (3) the expiration of the period described by | ||
| Subsection (b)(2). | ||
| (d) A notice under Subsection (c) is considered sent on the | ||
| date the notice is placed in the mail, personally delivered, or | ||
| transmitted by e-mail or any other means of electronic transfer. | ||
| SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives | ||
| a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as | ||
| provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this | ||
| Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this | ||
| Act takes effect September 1, 2023. | ||
| ______________________________ | ______________________________ | |
| President of the Senate | Speaker of the House | |
| I hereby certify that S.B. No. 736 passed the Senate on | ||
| March 27, 2023, by the following vote: Yeas 29, Nays 0. | ||
| ______________________________ | ||
| Secretary of the Senate | ||
| I hereby certify that S.B. No. 736 passed the House on | ||
| May 22, 2023, by the following vote: Yeas 135, Nays 10, one | ||
| present not voting. | ||
| ______________________________ | ||
| Chief Clerk of the House | ||
| Approved: | ||
| ______________________________ | ||
| Date | ||
| ______________________________ | ||
| Governor | ||
