SRC-HRD S.B. 584 75(R) BILL ANALYSIS Senate Research Center S.B. 584 By: Ogden Finance 2-20-97 As Filed DIGEST Currently, Texas law allows several state agencies to pay for training and other educational opportunities for their employees. During the interim of the 74th Legislature the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Special Issues Related to State Compensation (subcommittee) found that in some instances employees were given stipends to attend college undergraduate or graduate programs or other training programs without guaranteeing the state agency that they would return or continue their employment once they graduated or completed the program. In addition, the subcommittee discussed the payment of membership dues and discovered that many state agencies pay membership dues to private organizations whose interests are closely related to the duties of the state agencies. Some of these organizations pay all or a portion of the salary of persons registered as lobbyists. There are concerns that such payments are not consistent with Article IV, Sec. 5 of the General Appropriations Act which states that "none of the moneys appropriated by the Act, regardless of their source or character, shall be used for influencing the outcome of any election, or the passage or defeat of any legislative measure. This bill sets forth guidelines for state agencies to follow when paying training benefits and memberships dues. PURPOSE As proposed, S.B. 584 requires a state agency to adopt a policy containing certain provisions relating to the spending of money for the training of an agency employee. In addition, this bill prohibits a state agency from paying fees or membership dues to an organization that pays all or part of the salary of a person required to register under Chapter 305, Government Code. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY Rulemaking authority is granted to each state agency under SECTION 1 (Section 667.002, Government Code) of this bill. SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS SECTION 1. Amends Title 6B, Government Code, by adding Chapters 667 and 668, as follows: CHAPTER 667. TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES Sec. 667.001. DEFINITIONS. Defines "state agency," "state employee," and "training." Sec. 667.002. AGENCY POLICY. Requires a state agency, before it spends any money on training for a state employee, to adopt a policy governing the training of employees. Requires the policy to require training to relate to an employee's duties following training. Sec. 667.003. RESTRICTIONS. Sets forth additional requirements applicable to a policy adopted under Section 667.002 if a state employee receives training paid for by a state agency, and during the training period the employee does not perform the employee's regular duties for three or more months as a result of the training, CHAPTER 668. MEMBERSHIP DUES OR FEES Sec. 668.001. DEFINITIONS. Defines "state agency" and "state employee." Sec. 668.002. RESTRICTIONS ON MEMBERSHIP DUES OR FEES. Prohibits a state agency from paying fees or membership dues to an organization on behalf of the agency or a state employee of the agency if the organization pays all or part of the salary of a person required to register under Chapter 305, Government Code. SECTION 2. (a) Effective date: September 1, 1997. (b) Requires each state agency, not later than September 15, 1997, to adopt a policy relating to the payment of training expenses of state employees as required under Chapter 667, Government Code, as added by this Act. SECTION 3. Emergency clause.