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Bill would redefine firefighter workday for military leave to avoid forcing use of vacation time
Summary
House Bill 2513 would change how a workday is calculated under the Texas government military‑leave statute for firefighters so 24‑ and 48‑hour shifts count as single workdays; public testimony from Lubbock Professional Firefighters Association supported the change and the committee left the bill pending.
House Bill 2513, explained to the Senate committee by Senator Menendez on behalf of House sponsor Representative Tepper and Senate sponsor Chairman Perry, would clarify how military leave is calculated for firefighters employed by the state.
Under current practice, the military‑leave statute grants 15 days of military leave per year, a standard designed for Monday‑through‑Friday workers. Firefighters who work 24‑ or 48‑hour shifts typically bridge multiple calendar days; the current statutory definition can cause a single 24‑hour shift to consume two or three leave days under the existing language, prompting firefighters to use vacation or holiday time for military duty.
House Bill 2513 would clarify that, for firefighters, a workday equals a 24‑hour or 48‑hour shift, so military duty would not exhaust the 15‑day military‑leave allotment as currently happens. Jack Todd of the Lubbock Professional Firefighters Association testified in support and described members who have to use personal time or trade shifts to cover military duty. “We have members that are currently having to use their personal time, their holiday times and stuff like that,” Todd said.
The committee opened public testimony, heard support from firefighters’ representatives, closed testimony, and left the bill pending; no committee vote or amendment was recorded at the hearing.
