By:  Wilson                                           H.B. No. 1407
       73R5611 MJW-D
                                 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
    1-1                                AN ACT
    1-2  relating to the right of state employees voluntarily to designate
    1-3  any portion of their earned income to certain charitable
    1-4  organizations.
    1-5        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
    1-6        SECTION 1.  DEFINITIONS.  In this Act:
    1-7              (1)  "State agency" means a department, commission,
    1-8  board, office, or other agency of state government, including an
    1-9  institution of higher education as defined by Section 61.003,
   1-10  Education Code.
   1-11              (2)  "Charitable organization" means an organization
   1-12  that:
   1-13                    (A)  conducts activities on a statewide basis;
   1-14                    (B)  is organized for a charitable purpose under
   1-15  the Texas Non-Profit Corporation Act (Article 1396-1.01 et seq.,
   1-16  Vernon's Texas Civil Statutes); and
   1-17                    (C)  is an organization exempt from taxation
   1-18  under Section 501(a), Internal Revenue Code of 1986, and listed
   1-19  under Section 501(c)(3), Internal Revenue Code of 1986.
   1-20        SECTION 2.  DEDUCTION AUTHORIZED.  An employee of a state
   1-21  agency may authorize in writing a deduction each pay period from
   1-22  the employee's salary or wage payment for a contribution to a
   1-23  charitable organization.  The written authorization must direct the
   1-24  comptroller or, if applicable, the appropriate financial officer of
    2-1  an institution of higher education to transfer the withheld funds
    2-2  to the organization designated by the employee.
    2-3        SECTION 3.  FORM; DURATION.  (a)  The payroll deduction must
    2-4  be accomplished in a form and manner prescribed by the comptroller
    2-5  or the appropriate financial officer of an institution of higher
    2-6  education.
    2-7        (b)  The employee or the employee's designee may change or
    2-8  revoke the deduction authorization by delivering  written notice of
    2-9  the change or revocation to the comptroller or financial officer,
   2-10  as appropriate.  The authorization is effective until the date the
   2-11  comptroller or financial officer receives the notice.  The notice
   2-12  must be given in a form and manner prescribed by the comptroller or
   2-13  financial officer.
   2-14        SECTION 4.  VOLUNTARY PARTICIPATION.  Participation by
   2-15  employees in the program authorized by this Act is voluntary.
   2-16        SECTION 5.  EMERGENCY.  The importance of this legislation
   2-17  and the crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
   2-18  emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
   2-19  constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
   2-20  days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
   2-21  and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
   2-22  passage, and it is so enacted.