By Raymond                                             H.B. No. 425

         75R2687 JMM-D                           

                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-1                                   AN ACT

 1-2     relating to the policies of state agencies regarding work and

 1-3     family issues.

 1-4           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

 1-5           SECTION 1.  Section 81.002(b), Labor Code, is amended to read

 1-6     as follows:

 1-7           (b)  The executive director [administrator] of the commission

 1-8     shall appoint the members of the committee, to be composed of not

 1-9     more than 12 members.  The committee must be composed of corporate,

1-10     consumer, and provider representatives from the public and private

1-11     sectors.  One member of the committee must be a representative of

1-12     the Child Care Development Board and two members of the committee

1-13     must be representatives of other state agencies.

1-14           SECTION 2.  Chapter 81, Labor Code, is amended by adding

1-15     Section 81.009 to read as follows:

1-16           Sec. 81.009.  WORK-FAMILY FACILITATOR.  (a)  The

1-17     clearinghouse shall employ a work-family facilitator who shall be

1-18     responsible for assisting state agencies in developing work

1-19     policies that assist agency employees in meeting their

1-20     responsibilities to their work and to their families.

1-21           (b)  The facilitator shall report periodically to the

1-22     legislature on the progress made by state agencies on work and

1-23     family issues.

1-24           (c)  The work-family facilitator position and the costs of

 2-1     performing the facilitator's duties shall be funded by annually

 2-2     assessing each state agency, other than an institution of higher

 2-3     education, 75 cents for each full-time equivalent employee employed

 2-4     by that agency.  Funds collected under this subsection shall be

 2-5     deposited in the work and family policies fund and may be spent

 2-6     only as provided by this subsection.

 2-7           (d)  For purposes of this section, "full-time equivalent

 2-8     employee" is determined as provided by Section 2052.102, Government

 2-9     Code.

2-10           SECTION 3.  Chapter 81, Labor Code, is amended by adding

2-11     Section 81.010 to read as follows:

2-12           Sec. 81.010.  REPORT TO LEGISLATURE ON STATE AGENCY FAMILY

2-13     POLICIES.  (a)  The clearinghouse shall report to the legislature

2-14     not later than January 15, 1999, on the progress made by state

2-15     agencies in creating a flexible, family-friendly workplace for

2-16     state employees.

2-17           (b)  This section expires January 1, 2000.

2-18           SECTION 4.  (a)  This Act takes effect September 1, 1997.

2-19           (b)  The Work and Family Policies Clearinghouse shall appoint

2-20     a work-family facilitator not later than January 1, 1998.

2-21           (c)  The Texas Workforce Commission shall adopt rules

2-22     providing for the assessment and collection of the fee authorized

2-23     by Section 81.009, Labor Code, as added by this Act not later than

2-24     December 1, 1997.

2-25           SECTION 5.  The importance of this legislation and the

2-26     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

2-27     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

 3-1     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

 3-2     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.