Legislation Aids Local Fire & Police Departments
Austin State Representative Diana Maldonado (HD-52) of Round Rock Monday passed her third bill on the House floor House Bill 2806. Maldonados legislation aims to fix a gap in current protocol dealing with firefighters and police officers who take a leave of absence to perform military service.
Our local emergency personnel are critical to the safety and well-being of our communities said Maldonado. Many of our firefighters and police officers also serve in the Armed Forces protecting our nation and we must ensure that their sacrifice is not diminished upon their return. This bill adds fairness to the process by reinstating a member of the armed services to their rank on the fire or police department upon their return.
House Bill 2806 addresses the procedure that takes place to ensure that a firefighter or police officer who takes a leave for military service is able to return to the same rank and position upon their return. Currently when a fire fighter or a police officer is deployed for military service they are guaranteed that they will get their same rank and position back when they return from military duty. However under current practice if another fire fighter was promoted in their absence that person would be demoted or laid off even if they have more seniority than other fire fighters that joined that rank after them. This bill would allow the fire fighter who filled the absent soldiers rank to keep their rank if they had more seniority than others recently promoted.
I was proud to have strong bipartisan support as Joint Authors on this bill which truly addresses an issue our local police and fire departments are facing said Maldonado. I look forward to working with my colleagues in the Senate to move this bill through the legislative process and protect our emergency personnel who give their lives to serve our state and country.
Maldonado sits on the House Committee on State Affairs and the Committee on Defense and Veterans Affairs. She is serving her first term in the Texas House of Representatives and represents House District 52 which encompasses a portion of Williamson County including Round Rock Taylor Hutto Thrall Coupland and part of Georgetown and Austin.
