AI-assisted research summary: Off-duty commissioned officers may attend courses and do outside work if it does not hurt the department, subject to reasonable department access rules.
Sec. 411.0077. LIMITATION ON RESTRICTIONS ON CERTAIN OFF-DUTY ACTIVITIES. (a) During the period that the officer is off duty, a commissioned officer of the department is entitled to attend educational programs or courses or to engage in any outside employment that does not adversely affect the operations or the reputation of the department. The rights of a commissioned officer under this section are subject to any reasonable department requirements that the officer be accessible to the department during off-duty periods for the possible performance of official duties. (b) The department shall adopt reasonable guidelines relating to acceptable off-duty employment. The guidelines shall be uniformly applied to all supervisory and nonsupervisory commissioned officers. (b-1) If the department denies approval of a commissioned officer's secondary employment or proposed secondary employment, the director or the director's designee must promptly notify the officer in writing of the specific guideline adopted under Subsection (b) on which the department's decision is based. The notice must explain why the secondary employment or proposed secondary employment is prohibited by the referenced guideline. (c) If a commissioned officer is engaged in off-duty employment that the officer believes, in good faith, is not prohibited by a specific guideline adopted under Subsection (b), the officer is authorized to engage in the off-duty employment until the director or the director's designee informs the officer in writing that the employment is not acceptable. Added by Acts 1989, 71st Leg., ch. 379, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1989. Amended by Acts 1991, 72nd Leg., ch. 335, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1991; Acts 2003, 78th Leg., ch. 921, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 2003.