By: Harless (Senate Sponsor - Bettencourt) H.B. No. 4205          (In the Senate - Received from the House May 12, 2025;   May 13, 2025, read first time and referred to Committee on Local   Government; May 16, 2025, reported favorably by the following   vote:  Yeas 6, Nays 0, 1 present not voting; May 16, 2025, sent to   printer.)Click here to see the committee vote     A BILL TO BE ENTITLED   AN ACT     relating to compensation and employment benefits for law   enforcement personnel in certain counties.          BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:          SECTION 1.  Sections 174.003(3), (4), and (5), Local   Government Code, are amended to read as follows:                (3)  "Police officer" means a paid employee who is   sworn, certified or licensed by the Texas Commission on Law   Enforcement, and full-time, and who regularly serves in a   professional law enforcement capacity in the police department of a   political subdivision, the office of a district attorney as an   investigator, or the office of the county fire marshal. The term   does not include the chief of the department.                (4)  "Political subdivision" includes a municipality   and a county.                (5)  "Public employer" means the official or group of   officials of a political subdivision whose duty is to establish the   compensation, hours, and other conditions of employment of fire   fighters, police officers, or both, and may include the mayor, city   manager, town manager, town administrator, municipal governing   body, director of personnel, personnel board, commissioners,   commissioners court, or another official or combination of those   persons.          SECTION 2.  Section 174.005, Local Government Code, is   amended to read as follows:          Sec. 174.005.  PREEMPTION OF OTHER LAW. This chapter   preempts all contrary local ordinances, executive orders,   legislation, or rules adopted by the state or by a political   subdivision or agent of the state, including a personnel board,   civil service commission, commissioners court, or home-rule   municipality.          SECTION 3.  Subchapter Z, Chapter 152, Local Government   Code, is amended by adding Section 152.908 to read as follows:          Sec. 152.908.  COMPENSATION PARITY FOR POLICE OFFICERS IN   CERTAIN COUNTIES. (a)  In this section, "police officer" has the   meaning assigned by Section 174.003.          (b)  This section applies only to a county with a population   of 3.3 million or more.          (c)  If the commissioners court of a county increases the   compensation or employment benefits for a class of police officers,   the commissioners court must increase by the same amount the   compensation or employment benefits to all police officers that are   within that class and who receive their compensation and employment   benefits primarily through county funding.          (d)  The commissioners court of a county:                (1)  shall provide funding to each law enforcement   agency, office, or department of the county necessary to provide   the increase in compensation or employment benefits required by   Subsection (c); and                (2)  may not reduce a component of the budget of a law   enforcement agency, office, or department as a result of the   increase in compensation or employment benefits required by   Subsection (c).          SECTION 4.  Section 152.908, Local Government Code, as added   by this Act, applies only to an increase in the compensation or   employment benefits for a class of police officers, as defined by   that section, that is adopted by the commissioners court of the   county on or after the effective date of this Act.          SECTION 5.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.     * * * * *