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          AN ACT
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        relating to the eligibility of a landman for unemployment  | 
      
      
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        compensation. | 
      
      
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               BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | 
      
      
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               SECTION 1.  Section 201.077, Labor Code, is amended to read  | 
      
      
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        as follows: | 
      
      
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               Sec. 201.077.  SERVICE BY LANDMAN.  In this subtitle,  | 
      
      
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        "employment" does not include service performed for a private  | 
      
      
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        for-profit person by [an individual as] a landman, as defined by  | 
      
      
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        Section 1702.324, Occupations Code, if: | 
      
      
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                     (1)  the compensation paid to the landman [individual 
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          is engaged primarily in negotiating for the acquisition or 
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          divestiture of mineral rights or negotiating business agreements 
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          that provide for the exploration for or development of minerals;
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                     [(2)
           
           
          substantially all remuneration, paid in cash or 
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          otherwise, for the performance of the service is] directly relates  | 
      
      
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        only to the performance of the service [related to the completion by 
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          the individual of the specific, contracted-for tasks, rather than 
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          to the number of hours worked by the individual]; and | 
      
      
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                     (2) [(3)]  the service performed by the landman  | 
      
      
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        [individual] is performed under a written contract between the  | 
      
      
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        landman [individual] and the person for whom the service is  | 
      
      
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        performed that provides that the landman [individual] is to be  | 
      
      
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        treated as an independent contractor and not as an employee with  | 
      
      
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        respect to the service provided under the contract. | 
      
      
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               SECTION 2.  The change in law made by this Act applies only  | 
      
      
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        to a claim for unemployment compensation benefits that is filed  | 
      
      
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        with the Texas Workforce Commission on or after the effective date  | 
      
      
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        of this Act.  A claim filed before the effective date of this Act is  | 
      
      
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        governed by the law in effect on the date the claim was filed, and  | 
      
      
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        the former law is continued in effect for that purpose. | 
      
      
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               SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect immediately if it receives  | 
      
      
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        a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as  | 
      
      
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        provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution.  If this  | 
      
      
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        Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this  | 
      
      
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        Act takes effect September 1, 2015. | 
      
      
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        ______________________________ | 
        ______________________________ | 
      
      
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           President of the Senate | 
        Speaker of the House      | 
      
      
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               I hereby certify that S.B. No. 529 passed the Senate on  | 
      
      
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        April 9, 2015, by the following vote:  Yeas 31, Nays 0. | 
      
      
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        ______________________________ | 
      
      
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        Secretary of the Senate     | 
      
      
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               I hereby certify that S.B. No. 529 passed the House on  | 
      
      
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        May 5, 2015, by the following vote:  Yeas 137, Nays 8, two present  | 
      
      
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        not voting. | 
      
      
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        ______________________________ | 
      
      
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        Chief Clerk of the House    | 
      
      
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        Approved: | 
      
      
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        ______________________________  | 
      
      
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                    Date | 
      
      
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        ______________________________  | 
      
      
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                  Governor |