1-1     By:  Gutierrez (Senate Sponsor - Lucio)               H.B. No. 3449
 1-2           (In the Senate - Received from the House May 10, 1999;
 1-3     May 10, 1999, read first time and referred to Committee on Economic
 1-4     Development; May 14, 1999, reported favorably by the following
 1-5     vote:  Yeas 4, Nays 0; May 14, 1999, sent to printer.)
 1-6                            A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-7                                   AN ACT
 1-8     relating to payment of unemployment compensation tax contributions
 1-9     by certain employers engaged in agriculture.
1-10           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-11           SECTION 1.  Section 204.007, Labor Code, is amended to read
1-12     as follows:
1-13           Sec. 204.007.  SPECIAL RATE; CERTAIN EMPLOYERS ENGAGED IN
1-14     AGRICULTURE [RATE--COTTON GINNING EMPLOYER].  (a)  This section
1-15     applies to an [An] employer identified by the commission as
1-16     classified in the manual as:
1-17                 (1)  Number 0723, crop preparation services for market;
1-18     or
1-19                 (2)  Number 0724, cotton ginning.
1-20           (b)  An employer subject to this section[,] may elect to pay
1-21     a contribution at a total fixed rate of five and four-tenths
1-22     percent instead of paying a contribution computed on:
1-23                 (1)  the general tax rate applicable to that employer,
1-24     with the deficit tax rate and replenishment tax rate; or
1-25                 (2)  any other tax rate applicable to that employer
1-26     under this subtitle.
1-27           (c) [(b)]  An employer must notify the commission of an
1-28     election under this section in writing not later than December 31
1-29     preceding the year for which the election is made.
1-30           SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1999.
1-31           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the
1-32     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
1-33     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
1-34     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
1-35     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.
1-36                                  * * * * *