By Burnam                                              H.B. No. 197
         76R728 PB-D                           
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to the minimum wage.
 1-3           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-4           SECTION 1.  Section 62.003(b), Labor Code, is amended to read
 1-5     as follows:
 1-6           (b)  An earnings statement must be signed by the employer or
 1-7     the employer's agent and must show:
 1-8                 (1)  the name of the employee;
 1-9                 (2)  the rate of pay;
1-10                 (3)  the total amount of pay earned by the employee
1-11     during the pay period;
1-12                 (4)  any deduction made from the employee's pay and the
1-13     purpose of the deduction;
1-14                 (5)  the amount of pay after all deductions are made;
1-15     and
1-16                 (6)  the total number of:
1-17                       (A)  hours worked by the employee if the
1-18     employee's pay is computed by the hour; or
1-19                       (B)  units produced by the employee during the
1-20     pay period if the employee's pay is computed on a piece rate[; and]
1-21                 [(7)  the words "medical certificate," if the employee
1-22     is paid a wage lower than the applicable minimum wage under Section
1-23     62.055].
1-24           SECTION 2.  Section 62.051, Labor Code, is amended to read as
 2-1     follows:
 2-2           Sec. 62.051.  MINIMUM WAGE.  Except as provided by Section
 2-3     62.057, an [An] employer shall pay to each employee not less than:
 2-4                 (1)  $6.00 [$3.35] an hour on or after September 1,
 2-5     1999, but before January 1, 2000; and
 2-6                 (2)  $6.50 an hour on or after January 1, 2000 [,
 2-7     except as provided by Sections 62.055 and 62.057].
 2-8           SECTION 3.  Section 62.201, Labor Code, is amended to read as
 2-9     follows:
2-10           Sec. 62.201.  CIVIL PENALTY.  An employer who violates
2-11     Section 62.051, 62.052, 62.053, or 62.054[, 62.055, or 62.056] or
2-12     Subchapter C is liable to an affected employee in the amount of the
2-13     unpaid wages plus an additional equal amount as liquidated damages.
2-14           SECTION 4.  Sections 62.055 and 62.056, Labor Code, are
2-15     repealed.
2-16           SECTION 5.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1999.
2-17           SECTION 6.  The importance of this legislation and the
2-18     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
2-19     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
2-20     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
2-21     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.