The department may pay hazardous duty pay in some cases, must pay it for certain office-of-inspector-general employees, and may not use certain funds or pay employees at the central office, subject to appropriations limits.
Sec. 659.303. TEXAS JUVENILE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT EMPLOYEES. (a) The department may include hazardous duty pay in the compensation paid to an individual for services rendered during a month if the individual has: (1) routine direct contact with youth: (A) placed in a residential facility of the department; or (B) released under the department's supervision; and (2) completed at least 12 months of lifetime service credit not later than the last day of the preceding month. (a-1) The department shall include hazardous duty pay in the compensation paid to an individual for services rendered during a month if the individual is an investigator, inspector general, security officer, or apprehension specialist employed by the office of inspector general of the department. (b) For purposes of Subsection (a)(1), an individual who is having routine direct contact with youth on any portion of the first workday of a month is considered to have routine direct contact with youth for the entire month. (c) The department's authority under Subsection (a) is subject to any conditions or limitations in the General Appropriations Act. (d) Except for the inclusion of hazardous duty pay in the compensation paid to an individual described by Subsection (a-1), the department may not pay hazardous duty pay: (1) from funds authorized for payment of an across-the-board employee salary increase; or (2) to an employee who works at the department's central office. (e) In this section, "department" means the Texas Juvenile Justice Department. Added by Acts 2001, 77th Leg., ch. 1158, Sec. 37, eff. Sept. 1, 2001. Amended by: Acts 2015, 84th Leg., R.S., Ch. 734 (H.B. 1549), Sec. 106, eff. September 1, 2015. Acts 2019, 86th Leg., R.S., Ch. 907 (H.B. 3689), Sec. 1, eff. September 1, 2019. Acts 2025, 89th Leg., R.S., Ch. 801 (S.B. 1171), Sec. 2, eff. September 1, 2025.