By Kubiak                                       H.B. No. 2174

      75R6941 MLS-D                           

                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-1                                   AN ACT

 1-2     relating to increasing the longevity pay of state employees.

 1-3           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

 1-4           SECTION 1.  Section 659.044, Government Code, is amended to

 1-5     read as follows:

 1-6           Sec. 659.044.  AMOUNT.  (a)  The monthly amount of longevity

 1-7     pay is $5 [$4] for each year of lifetime service credit.

 1-8           (b)  The amount increases when the 5th, 10th, 15th, 20th,

 1-9     [and] 25th, 30th, 35th, and 40th years of lifetime service credit

1-10     are accrued.

1-11           (c)  An increase is effective beginning with the month

1-12     following the month in which the 5th, 10th, 15th, 20th, [and] 25th,

1-13     30th, 35th, and 40th years of lifetime service credit are accrued.

1-14           (d)  An employee may not receive from the state as longevity

1-15     pay more than $5 [$4] for each year of lifetime service credit,

1-16     regardless of the number of positions the employee holds or the

1-17     number of hours the employee works each week.

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.