Internal prototype — noindexed, not linked from public navigation yet.

Tex. Local Government Code § 143.128

This is the official text of Tex. Local Government Code § 143.128, part of Texas’s Local Government Code — governs the powers and operations of Texas cities and counties.

Not legal advice. This page reproduces the official text of a government statute for reference only. Laws change, and how a statute applies depends on your specific facts. For advice about your situation, consult a licensed attorney in your state.

§ 143.128. STEP I GRIEVANCE PROCEDURE.

Official statutory text

(a) To begin a grievance action, a fire fighter or police officer must file a completed written step I grievance form with the person's department head or departmental grievance counselor within 30 days after the date the fire fighter or police officer knew or should have known of the action or inaction for which the person feels aggrieved occurred. A step I grievance form may be obtained from the departmental grievance counselor. If the form is not timely filed, the grievance is waived.

(b) If the form is filed, the departmental grievance counselor shall arrange a meeting of the fire fighter or police officer, that person's immediate supervisor or other appropriate supervisor or both, and the person or persons against whom the grievance is lodged. The departmental grievance counselor shall schedule the step I meeting within 30 calendar days after the date the grievance is filed. If the grievance is lodged against the department head, the department head may send a representative.

(c) The fire fighter's or police officer's immediate supervisor or other appropriate supervisor, or both, shall fully, candidly, and openly discuss the grievance with the fire fighter or police officer in a sincere attempt to resolve it.

(d) Regardless of the outcome of the meeting, the fire fighter's or police officer's immediate supervisor or other appropriate supervisor, or both, shall provide a written response to the fire fighter or police officer, with a copy to the grievance counselor, within 15 calendar days after the date the meeting occurs. The response must include the supervisor's evaluation and proposed solution. The response shall either be personally delivered to the fire fighter or police officer or be mailed by certified mail, return receipt requested, to the last home address provided by that person.

(e) If the proposed solution is not acceptable, the fire fighter or police officer may file a step II grievance form with the department head or the departmental grievance counselor in accordance with Section 143.129. If the aggrieved fire fighter or police officer fails to timely file a step II grievance form, the solution is considered accepted.

(f) If the supervisor does not provide the response required by Subsection (d) before the 16th day after the date the meeting occurs, the department head shall sustain the fire fighter's or police officer's grievance.

Status: in_force · Read it on the official government site

Need a lawyer in Texas?

Find a Texas lawyer
About this page: Statute text is reproduced from official government publishers via the Open US Law dataset (Vaquill AI, snapshot v2026.08, CC BY 4.0). Primary legislative text like this is public domain under the government-edicts doctrine (Georgia v. Public.Resource.Org, 2020). We link every section back to its official source so you can verify it independently.