By Naishtat H.B. No. 2077 75R6972 ESH-D A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-1 AN ACT 1-2 relating to local-option bargaining by boards of trustees of public 1-3 school districts. 1-4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-5 SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 22, Education Code, is 1-6 amended by adding Section 22.006 to read as follows: 1-7 Sec. 22.006. LOCAL-OPTION BARGAINING. (a) Notwithstanding 1-8 Section 617.002, Government Code, the board of trustees of a school 1-9 district may, at the board's sole discretion, enter into a binding 1-10 agreement with a labor organization as defined by Section 617.001, 1-11 Government Code. 1-12 (b) An agreement under this section may contain terms 1-13 relating to compensation, hours of employment, or working 1-14 conditions. 1-15 (c) The method of electing a labor organization to represent 1-16 district employees must be established by district policy. A labor 1-17 organization elected to represent district employees in negotiating 1-18 an agreement under this section shall fairly represent each class 1-19 of employees to whom the agreement applies. 1-20 (d) In negotiating an agreement under this section: 1-21 (1) the parties must meet at reasonable times and must 1-22 confer in good faith; 1-23 (2) neither party may be compelled to accept a 1-24 proposal or make a concession; and 2-1 (3) the parties may execute a written contract 2-2 incorporating any agreement reached. 2-3 (e) An agreement under this section may be enforced by an 2-4 action brought in the district court of the county in which the 2-5 district's central administrative office is located or the parties 2-6 may agree to procedures under which any dispute is resolved by 2-7 binding arbitration. 2-8 (f) Except as provided by Subsection (a), Chapter 617, 2-9 Government Code, applies to the employees of a school district. 2-10 (g) This section does not deprive any school district 2-11 employee of any right or benefit due to the employee under the 2-12 education laws of this state. 2-13 SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 1997. 2-14 SECTION 3. The importance of this legislation and the 2-15 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 2-16 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 2-17 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 2-18 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.