1-1                                   AN ACT

 1-2     relating to payment of compensation to employees of the Department

 1-3     of Public Safety.

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

 1-5           SECTION 1.  Section 659.082, Government Code, is amended to

 1-6     read as follows:

 1-7           Sec. 659.082.  PAYMENT TWICE A MONTH.  An employee is

 1-8     entitled to be paid employment compensation twice a month if:

 1-9                 (1)  the employee is employed by:

1-10                       (A)  the Texas Department of Mental Health and

1-11     Mental Retardation;

1-12                       (B)  the Texas Department of Transportation;

1-13                       (C)  the Texas Department of Human Services;

1-14                       (D)  the Texas Workforce [Employment] Commission;

1-15                       (E)  the Department of Public Safety; or

1-16                       (F) [(E)]  any other state agency designated by

1-17     the comptroller;

1-18                 (2)  the employee holds a classified position under the

1-19     state's position classification plan;

1-20                 (3)  the employee's position is classified below salary

1-21     group 12 under the classification salary schedule in the General

1-22     Appropriations Act;

1-23                 (4)  the employing state agency satisfies the

1-24     comptroller's requirements relating to the payment of compensation

 2-1     twice a month;  and

 2-2                 (5)  at least 30 percent of the eligible employees of

 2-3     the agency choose to be paid twice a month.

 2-4           SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1997, and

 2-5     applies only to the payment of compensation for a pay period that

 2-6     begins on or after that date.

 2-7           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the

 2-8     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

 2-9     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

2-10     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

2-11     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.

         _______________________________     _______________________________

             President of the Senate              Speaker of the House

               I certify that H.B. No. 790 was passed by the House on May 2,

         1997, by a non-record vote.

                                             _______________________________

                                                 Chief Clerk of the House

               I certify that H.B. No. 790 was passed by the Senate on May

         26, 1997, by the following vote:  Yeas 31, Nays 0.

                                             _______________________________

                                                 Secretary of the Senate

         APPROVED:  _____________________

                            Date

                    _____________________

                          Governor