1-1                                   AN ACT

 1-2     relating to participation by community colleges in the state

 1-3     employee charitable contribution program.

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

 1-5           SECTION 1.  Subchapter H, Chapter 659, Government Code, as

 1-6     added by Chapter 76, Acts of the 74th Legislature, Regular Session,

 1-7     1995, is amended by adding Section 659.1311 to read as follows:

 1-8           Sec. 659.1311.  PUBLIC JUNIOR COLLEGES.  (a)  For purposes of

 1-9     this subchapter, a public junior college is considered to be an

1-10     institution of higher education and employees of the public junior

1-11     college are considered to be state employees during a state fiscal

1-12     year unless an affirmative decision not to participate under this

1-13     subchapter is made by the governing board of the public junior

1-14     college not later than April 1 of the preceding state fiscal year.

1-15           (b)  An employee of a public junior college that elects not

1-16     to participate in the state employee charitable contribution

1-17     program may authorize a deduction from the employee's salary or

1-18     wage payment for a charitable contribution as provided by the

1-19     policy of the governing board of the public junior college.

1-20           (c)  Participation by an employee of a public junior college

1-21     under this section is voluntary.

1-22           SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1997.

1-23           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the

1-24     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

 2-1     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

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

 2-3     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. 2491 was passed by the House on May

         6, 1997, by a non-record vote; and that the House concurred in

         Senate amendments to H.B. No. 2491 on May 29, 1997, by a non-record

         vote.

                                             _______________________________

                                                 Chief Clerk of the House

               I certify that H.B. No. 2491 was passed by the Senate, with

         amendments, on May 26, 1997, by the following vote:  Yeas 31, Nays

         0.

                                             _______________________________

                                                 Secretary of the Senate

         APPROVED:  _____________________

                            Date

                    _____________________

                          Governor