HB 3420 Texas House · 89th Legislature (2025)

Relating to certain mental health policies and services for peace officers, fire fighters, and telecommunicators.

HB 3420 requires Texas law enforcement agencies, fire departments, and telecommunicator employers to create mental health leave policies for their peace officers, firefighters, and full-time telecommunicators. The bill mandates that these policies must provide clear guidelines for using leave after traumatic work events, guarantee no salary reduction, specify the number of available leave days, and ensure anonymity for employees who take leave. It directly affects public safety workers who experience trauma while performing their duties. The policy must also list available mental health services in the employer's area. The bill focuses on creating structured support systems rather than altering funding or service delivery.
Bill status passed 3 of 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Mar 2025
Committee Review
May 2025
House Passage
May 2025
Senate Passage
Governor
Introduced Mar 21, 2025 Last action May 19, 2025
Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

Introduced Engrossed · 5 edits · May 14, 2025
MODERATE
This bill introduces mental health leave policies for peace officers, firefighters, and telecommunicators in Texas. The changes add definitions for 'employer' and 'telecommunicator', require employers to develop mental health leave policies with specific guidelines, and mandate annual mental health evaluations. The bill also includes provisions for anonymity in leave usage and lists available mental health services.
Scope change
The bill expands mental health protections to include telecommunicators alongside peace officers and firefighters, and clarifies the definition of 'employer' to include governmental entities that appoint these personnel.
DEFINITION

Added definition of 'telecommunicator' as a person authorized under Section 1701.405, Occupations Code.

REQUIREMENT

Requires employers to develop and adopt mental health leave policies with clear guidelines, salary protection, leave day enumeration, and anonymity provisions.

Mandates annual mental health evaluations by professional or peer support advisors for peace officers and firefighters.

TIMELINE

Establishes September 1, 2025 as the effective date for the Act.

ELIGIBILITY

Expanded eligibility to include telecommunicators in mental health leave provisions previously limited to peace officers and firefighters.

Floor votes · House May 13, 2025

How they voted

11222
Passed · 8 other
Total votes 142
May 13, 2025
D Democratic58
56 Yea 1 Nay 1
96% Yea
R Republican84
56 Yea 21 Nay 7
66% Yea
Vote distribution
All Yea All Nay Mixed No data
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
27
Key actions
7
Committee
7
May 19, 2025
Committee
Referred to Local Government
upper
May 19, 2025
Introduced
Read first time
upper
May 14, 2025
Introduced
Received from the House
upper
May 14, 2025
Lower · Passed
Passed
lower
May 13, 2025
Lower · Passed
Passed to engrossment
lower
May 7, 2025
Lower · Passed
Committee report sent to Calendars
lower
May 7, 2025
Lower · Passed
Committee report distributed
lower
May 1, 2025
Lower · Passed
Reported favorably as substituted
lower
Apr 30, 2025
Lower · Passed
Left pending in committee
lower
Apr 30, 2025
Lower · Passed
Testimony taken/registration(s) recorded in committee
lower
Mar 21, 2025
Committee
Referred to Homeland Security, Public Safety & Veterans' Affairs
lower
Mar 21, 2025
Introduced
Read first time
lower
4 primary · 0 co-sponsors

Sponsors