Texas · Through 89th 2nd Called Legislative Session, 2025

Tex. Government Code § 614.015: MENTAL HEALTH LEAVE FOR PEACE OFFICERS AND TELECOMMUNICATORS.

(a) In this section:
(1) "Law enforcement agency" means an agency of the state or of a political subdivision of the state authorized by law to employ peace officers.
(2) "Telecommunicator" means a person authorized to act as a telecommunicator under Section 1701.405, Occupations Code.
(b) Each law enforcement agency, and each agency of the state or of a political subdivision of the state that employs a full-time telecommunicator, shall develop and adopt a policy allowing the use of mental health leave by the peace officers and full-time telecommunicators, as applicable, employed by the agency who experience a traumatic event in the scope of that employment.
(c) A mental health leave policy adopted under this section must:
(1) provide clear and objective guidelines establishing the circumstances under which a peace officer or telecommunicator is granted and may use mental health leave;
(2) entitle a peace officer or telecommunicator to mental health leave without a deduction in salary or other compensation;
(3) enumerate the number of mental health leave days available to a peace officer or telecommunicator; and
(4) detail the level of anonymity for a peace officer or telecommunicator who takes mental health leave.
(d) A mental health leave policy adopted under this section may provide a list of mental health services available to peace officers and telecommunicators in the area of the law enforcement or employing agency.
Added by Acts 2021, 87th Leg., R.S., Ch. 396 (S.B. 1359), Sec. 1, eff. September 1, 2021.
Amended by:
Acts 2023, 88th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1119 (H.B. 1486), Sec. 1, eff. September 1, 2023.

Where this section sits in the code

GOVERNMENT CODE
TITLE 6. PUBLIC OFFICERS AND EMPLOYEES
SUBTITLE A. PROVISIONS GENERALLY APPLICABLE TO PUBLIC OFFICERS AND EMPLOYEES
CHAPTER 614. PEACE OFFICERS AND FIRE FIGHTERS
SUBCHAPTER A-1. MENTAL HEALTH LEAVE

(a) In this section:

(1) "Law enforcement agency" means an agency of the state or of a political subdivision of the state authorized by law to employ peace officers.

(2) "Telecommunicator" means a person authorized to act as a telecommunicator under Section 1701.405, Occupations Code.

(b) Each law enforcement agency, and each agency of the state or of a political subdivision of the state that employs a full-time telecommunicator, shall develop and adopt a policy allowing the use of mental health leave by the peace officers and full-time telecommunicators, as applicable, employed by the agency who experience a traumatic event in the scope of that employment.

(1) provide clear and objective guidelines establishing the circumstances under which a peace officer or telecommunicator is granted and may use mental health leave;

(2) entitle a peace officer or telecommunicator to mental health leave without a deduction in salary or other compensation;

(3) enumerate the number of mental health leave days available to a peace officer or telecommunicator; and

(4) detail the level of anonymity for a peace officer or telecommunicator who takes mental health leave.

(d) A mental health leave policy adopted under this section may provide a list of mental health services available to peace officers and telecommunicators in the area of the law enforcement or employing agency.

Added by Acts 2021, 87th Leg., R.S., Ch. 396 (S.B. 1359), Sec. 1, eff. September 1, 2021.

Amended by:

Acts 2023, 88th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1119 (H.B. 1486), Sec. 1, eff. September 1, 2023.

Collected 2026-08-27T01:47:16Z. Source file · JSON

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