By Chavez                                       H.B. No. 1503

      75R3642 PAM-F                           

                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-1                                   AN ACT

 1-2     relating to accommodating a municipal or county employee with a

 1-3     partial disability related to pregnancy.

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

 1-5           SECTION 1.  Chapter 180, Local Government Code, is amended by

 1-6     adding Section 180.004 to read as follows:

 1-7           Sec. 180.004.  ACCOMMODATION OF CERTAIN PREGNANT EMPLOYEES.

 1-8     (a)  A municipality or county shall make a reasonable effort to

 1-9     accommodate a municipal or county employee as provided by this

1-10     section if a physician certifies that the employee is:

1-11                 (1)  partially disabled by pregnancy; and

1-12                 (2)  unable to perform the duties of the employee's

1-13     permanent work assignment.

1-14           (b)  If a temporary work assignment that an employee

1-15     certified under Subsection (a) is medically able to perform is

1-16     available, a municipality or county shall assign the employee to

1-17     the temporary work assignment.

1-18           SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1997.

1-19           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the

1-20     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

1-21     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

1-22     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

1-23     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.