BILL ANALYSIS


                                                        S.B. 1559
                                                   By: Barrientos
                                                         Finance 
                                                         05-10-95
                                     Committee Report (Unamended)
BACKGROUND

Currently, the Texas Department of Transportation is not able to
reimburse an employee for other expenses associated with a job
relocation, including financial loss as a result of selling and
buying the employee's home.  No comprehensive state policy exists
for reimbursement of relocation expenses for state employees. 
State employees are reimbursed only for expenses related to moving
household goods and various trips associated with the move.

PURPOSE

As proposed, S.B. 1559 authorizes the Texas Department of
Transportation to reimburse transferred or newly hired employees
for the expense or increased costs of selling existing housing and
purchasing and financing comparable housing, provided that the
director finds that the best interest of the state will be served.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not grant any
additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or
agency.

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1. Amends Article 6668a, V.T.C.S., by adding Section (g),
as follows:

     (g)(1)(A)  Authorizes the Texas Department of Transportation
     (department), in addition to authority granted by other
     provisions of law, upon approval of the director, to reimburse
     transferred or newly hired employees for the expense or
     increased costs of selling existing housing and purchasing and
     financing comparable replacement housing, provided the
     director finds that the best interest of the state will be
     served by such hire or transfer.
     
     (B)  Provides that certain expenses or increased costs
       related to the selling of existing housing and the leasing,
       purchasing, and financing of comparable replacement housing
       are deemed reimbursable.
       
       (B)  Prohibits the department from providing such
       reimbursement for more than 25 employees per fiscal year;
       paying a sum of more than $15,000 per employee; purchasing
       or paying any part of the purchase price of any employee's
       home; or providing such reimbursement for the purchase or
       financing of a house if the employee did not own and occupy
       existing housing at the time of transfer or hire.
       
       (2)  Authorizes the department to pay the reasonable,
         necessary, and resulting costs of moving household goods
         and effects of a transferred or newly hired employee so
         long as the agency determines that the best interests of
         the state will be served by such transfer or hire; and the
         distance between the two designated headquarters of a
         transferred employee is at least 25 miles, or the distance
         from the current residence of a new hire and the new
         headquarters is at least 25 miles.
     SECTION 2.     Emergency clause.
           Effective date:  90 days after adjournment.