JKM H.B. 425 75(R)BILL ANALYSIS


ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
H.B. 425
By: Raymond
4-2-97
Committee Report (Unamended)



BACKGROUND 

Working couples, single parents, and those caring for elderly family
members, are finding it more difficult to balance their work and family
responsibilities. To a great extent, increasing child-care and nursing
home care costs and stagnant wages also have contributed to this
situation. 

As Texas' single largest employer, state government can lead in the
development of policies that address the family problems, which contribute
to  decreased productivity, lost work time, increased health risks,
tardiness, absenteeism, and poor morale. 

Employers who take into account the needs of the family are likely to reap
benefits, such as improved employee morale, job productivity and
performance, while employees enjoy a greater and healthier balance between
work and their personal life. 

PURPOSE
To add a representative of the Child Care Development Board and two
representatives of state agencies to the Work and Family Advisory
Committee; create a work-family facilitor to help state agencies develop
policies to assist employees meet work and family responsiblities; and
mandate the Work and Family Policies Clearinghouse report on state
agencies' progress in creating a flexible, family-friendly workplace. 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY      

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does expressly grant
rulemaking authority to the Texas Workforce Commission in Section 4 (c) by
granting the Commission the authority to adopt rules providing for the
assessment and collection of the fee authorized by Section 81.009, Labor
Code. 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1. Amends Section 81.002(b), Labor Code, by requiring executive
director of the Texas Workforce Commission to appoint two representives of
state government agencies and one representive of the Child Care
Development Board to the Work and Family Advisory Committee. 

SECTION 2.  Amends Chapter 81, Labor Code, by adding Section 81.009,
establishing a workfamily facilitator responsible for assisting state
agencies in developing work policies that aid agency employees in meeting
their responsibilities to their work and to their families. The
facilitator shall report periodically to the Legislature on the progress
made by state agencies on work and family issues. The work-family
facilitor position and the cost of performing the facilitor's duties shall
be funded by annually assessing each state agency, other than an
institution of higher education, 75 cents for each full-time equivalent
employee employed by that agency.  Funds collected under this  subsection
are required to be deposited in the work and family policies fund and may
be spent only as provided by this subsection.  "Full-time equivalent
employee" is defined as provided by Section 2052.102, Government Code, for
the purposes of this section. 

SECTION 3. Amends Chapter 81, Labor Code, by adding Section 81.010, which
requires the Work and Family Clearinghouse to report to the legislature
not later than January 15, 1999, on the progress made by state agencies in
creating a flexible, family-friendly workplace for state employees. This
section expires January 1, 2000. 

SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 1997. The work-family
facilitator shall be appointed not later than January 1, 1998 by the Work
and Family Policies Clearinghouse. The Texas Workforce Commission shall
adopt rules providing for the assessment and collection of the fee
authorized in this Act by Section 81.009, Labor Code, not later than
December 1, 1997. 

SECTION 5.  Emergency clause.