HB2713

Regular Session

Relating to the repeal of a municipal civil service system for firefighters and police officers in certain municipalities.

LowStandard timeline

Low Cost

Effective:2025-06-20

Enforcing Agencies

Municipal Governing Bodies (City Councils)

Compliance Analysis

Key implementation requirements and action items for compliance with this legislation

Implementation Timeline

Effective Date: June 20, 2025 (Immediate effect due to supermajority vote).
Compliance Deadline: Immediate. Any petition for repeal currently pending where an election order was not issued prior to June 20, 2025, must be rejected if the municipality’s population exceeds 50,000.
Agency Rulemaking: None required. This is a statutory limitation on municipal authority; however, local City Secretary protocols must be updated immediately.

Immediate Action Plan

Determine Official Population: Immediately document the controlling population figure for your municipality to determine if you fall within the new 50,000–950,000 prohibition zone.
Audit Pending Petitions: Review all active petitions. If an election order was not signed by the City Council before June 20, 2025, and the population is >50,000, declare the petition void.
Update Legal Guidance: Issue a memo to labor relations teams confirming that Chapter 143 status is now permanent absent legislative intervention, and adjust bargaining strategies accordingly.
Revise Election Protocols: Update the City Secretary’s election manual to include the HB2713 population check as the first step in the petition verification process.

Operational Changes Required

Contracts

Collective Bargaining/Meet & Confer: While specific contract terms do not change, the negotiation environment has shifted. Municipal legal counsel must advise negotiation teams that the "nuclear option" (threatening a repeal of Civil Service to force union concessions) is no longer legally viable in cities over 50,000. Expect entrenched positions from Police/Fire Associations regarding disciplinary procedures.

Hiring/Training

City Secretary/Clerk Training: Staff responsible for verifying petitions must be retrained on the new population thresholds. They must be instructed to validate the municipality's official population count *before* processing any Chapter 143 repeal petition.

Reporting & Record-Keeping

Petition Logs: Maintain precise timestamps for all filings. To utilize the limited grandfather clause, a municipality must prove that an election was formally ordered (not just petitioned) prior to June 20, 2025.
Rejection Notices: Develop a standard form letter for rejecting repeal petitions in cities >50,000, citing HB2713 and the specific population data used to justify the rejection.

Fees & Costs

Litigation Risk: Budget for potential litigation regarding population definitions if your municipality is on the cusp of the 50,000 threshold.
Insurance: Verify Employment Practices Liability Insurance (EPLI) covers the mandatory arbitration and appeal processes of Chapter 143, as the ability to revert to at-will employment is now statutorily barred.

Strategic Ambiguities & Considerations

Definition of "Population": The statute relies on the term "population" without explicitly mandating the use of the most recent Federal Decennial Census versus current municipal estimates. For fast-growing cities currently hovering near the 50,000 mark (e.g., 48,000 in 2020 but 55,000 in 2025), this creates a "gray zone." If a petition is filed, the source of population data will likely be the subject of immediate litigation.

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Legislative Timeline

This bill's path through the Texas Legislature

TopicsCity Government City Government--employees/officers Fire Fighters & Police Fire Fighters & Police--general

Official Analysis

View HRO Analysis View All Bill Documents

BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 2713

By: Darby

Intergovernmental Affairs

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Current law establishes municipal civil service for firefighters and police officers to ensure that departments are efficient and staffed by capable personnel who are free from political influence and have employment tenure as public servants. The bill author has informed the committee that municipalities and counties that have adopted a civil service system achieve higher professional standards, providing firefighters and police officers with an environment free from political influence, which is essential for progress in the profession. The 88th Legislature passed
H.B. 4227 to restrict the ability to repeal civil service for firefighters and police officers to municipalities with a population of less than 950,000. H.B. 2713 seeks to provide for municipalities to retain a civil service system for firefighters and police officers by lowering the population threshold at which a municipality's governing body must order an election for the repeal of the system on receipt of an applicable petition.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.

ANALYSIS

H.B. 2713 amends the Local Government Code to lower from less than 950,000 to less than 70,000 the population threshold of a municipality that has operated under the municipal civil service system for firefighters and police officers for at least one year at which the municipality's governing body is required to order an election for the repeal of the system on receipt of a petition requesting such an election that is signed by at least 10 percent of the municipality's qualified voters.

H.B. 2713 applies only to a petition for which an election has not been ordered before the bill's effective date. A petition for which an election has been ordered before the bill's effective date is governed by the law in effect when the election was ordered, and the former law is continued in effect for that purpose.

EFFECTIVE DATE

On passage, or, if the bill does not receive the necessary vote, September 1, 2025.

House Authors

Rep. Drew DarbyRepublican · Primary Author

Joint Authors

Senate Sponsor

Sen. Kelly HancockRepublican · Primary Sponsor

Bill Text(with markup)

H.B. No. 2713

View bill text in multiple formats on Texas Legislature website

Fiscal NoteView Original

	AN ACT
	relating to the repeal of a municipal civil service system for
	firefighters and police officers in certain municipalities.
	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
	SECTION 1. Section 143.004(e), Local Government Code, is
	amended to read as follows:
	(e) If the governing body of a municipality with a
	population of less than 50,000 [~~950,000~~] that has operated under
	this chapter for at least one year receives a petition requesting an
	election to repeal this chapter that is signed by at least 10
	percent of the qualified voters of the municipality, the governing
	body shall order an election submitting to the voters the question
	on whether this chapter should be repealed. If a majority of the
	qualified voters vote to repeal this chapter, this chapter is void
	in that municipality.
	SECTION 2. The change in law made by this Act applies only
	to a petition for which an election has not been ordered before the
	effective date of this Act. A petition for which an election has
	been ordered before the effective date of this Act is governed by
	the law in effect when the election was ordered, and the former law
	is continued in effect for that purpose.
	SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
	a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
	provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
	Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
	Act takes effect September 1, 2025.

LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
Austin, Texas

FISCAL NOTE, 89TH LEGISLATIVE REGULAR SESSION


March 21, 2025

TO:	Honorable Cecil Bell, Chair, House Committee on Intergovernmental Affairs

FROM:	Jerry McGinty, Director, Legislative Budget Board

IN RE:	HB2713 by Darby (Relating to the repeal of a municipal civil service system for firefighters and police officers in certain municipalities.), As Introduced

No fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

Local Government Impact

No significant fiscal implication to units of local government is anticipated.

Source Agencies:

LBB Staff:

JMc, SZ, BC, CWi

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Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about HB2713

What does Texas HB2713 do?

Effective immediately, HB2713 prohibits municipalities with populations between 50,000 and 950,000 from holding voter-initiated elections to repeal Chapter 143 Civil Service protections. This legislation effectively locks in Civil Service status for police and fire departments in mid-to-large sized cities, removing the statutory authority for voters to unilaterally dissolve these systems via petition. Implementation Timeline Effective Date: June 20, 2025 (Immediate effect due to supermajority vote).

Who authored HB2713?

HB2713 was authored by Texas Representative Drew Darby during the Regular Session.

When was HB2713 signed into law?

HB2713 was signed into law by Governor Greg Abbott on June 20, 2025.

Which agencies enforce HB2713?

HB2713 is enforced by Municipal Governing Bodies (City Councils).

How urgent is compliance with HB2713?

The compliance urgency for HB2713 is rated as "low". Businesses and organizations should review the requirements and timeline to ensure timely compliance.

What is the cost impact of HB2713?

The cost impact of HB2713 is estimated as "low". This may vary based on industry and implementation requirements.

What topics does HB2713 address?

HB2713 addresses topics including city government, city government--employees/officers, fire fighters & police and fire fighters & police--general.

Legislative data provided by LegiScanLast updated: November 25, 2025

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