A municipality’s governing body must act on a qualifying recognition petition within 30 days, either granting recognition, ordering an election, or ordering a certification election.
Sec. 147.0031. PETITION FOR RECOGNITION: ELECTION OR ACTION BY GOVERNING BODY. (a) Not later than the 30th day after the date the governing body of a municipality receives from the meet and confer team a petition signed by a majority of all police officers and a majority of all firefighters, excluding the head of the police department, the head of the fire department, and other excluded employees as described by Section 147.0035(b), that requests recognition of the meet and confer team as the sole and exclusive bargaining agent for all the police officers and firefighters employed by the municipality, excluding the head of the police department, the head of the fire department, and other excluded employees as described by Section 147.0035(b), the governing body shall: (1) grant recognition of the meet and confer team as requested in the petition and determine by majority vote that the municipality may meet and confer under this chapter without conducting an election by the voters in the municipality under Section 147.0033; (2) defer granting recognition of the meet and confer team and order an election by the voters in the municipality under Section 147.0033 regarding whether the municipality may meet and confer under this chapter; or (3) order a certification election under Section 147.0032 to determine whether the employee groups in the meet and confer team represent a majority of the covered police officers and a majority of the covered firefighters. (b) If the governing body of a municipality orders a certification election under Subsection (a)(3) and the employee groups that are part of the meet and confer team are certified to represent a majority of the covered police officers and a majority of the covered firefighters, the governing body shall, not later than the 30th day after the date that results of that election are certified: (1) grant recognition of the meet and confer team as requested in the petition for recognition and determine by majority vote that the municipality may meet and confer under this chapter without conducting an election by the voters in the municipality under Section 147.0033; or (2) defer granting recognition of the meet and confer team and order an election by the voters in the municipality under Section 147.0033 regarding whether a public employer may meet and confer under this chapter. Added by Acts 2007, 80th Leg., R.S., Ch. 835 (H.B. 866), Sec. 1, eff. September 1, 2007.