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
112–22
Passed · 8 other
Total votes 142
May 13, 2025
D
Democratic58
96% Yea
R
Republican84
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
Role
Legislator
Party
State
District
P
Josey Garcia
DDemocratic
P
Liz Campos
DDemocratic
P
Marc LaHood
RRepublican
P
Mihaela Pleșa
DDemocratic
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