By: Bivins S.B. No. 1151 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT 1-1 relating to unemployment compensation benefits for certain persons 1-2 engaged in seasonal employment. 1-3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-4 SECTION 1. Subchapter D, Chapter 201, Labor Code, is amended 1-5 by adding Section 201.048 to read as follows: 1-6 Sec. 201.048. SERVICES PERFORMED IN SEASONAL PLAY OR MUSICAL 1-7 PRODUCTION. (a) In this section, "seasonal" means a period 1-8 consisting of not more than 17 consecutive weeks in a calendar year 1-9 that recurs annually at approximately the same time and during the 1-10 same months each calendar year. 1-11 (b) Services performed for a seasonal play or musical 1-12 production, a principal purpose of which is education or historical 1-13 preservation regarding the state or a region of the state, 1-14 constitute employment for purposes of this subtitle. Benefits are 1-15 payable to an individual based on seasonal services performed by 1-16 the individual for the seasonal play or musical production only for 1-17 the weeks of unemployment that occur, or the greater part of which 1-18 occur, during the seasonal work period. 1-19 (c) The commission by rule shall determine the dates of a 1-20 seasonal period for purposes of this section. 1-21 SECTION 2. (a) This Act takes effect September 1, 1999. 1-22 (b) The change in law made by this Act applies to 1-23 eligibility for unemployment compensation benefits based on an 1-24 unemployment compensation claim that is filed with the Texas 2-1 Workforce Commission on or after the effective date of this Act. A 2-2 claim filed before the effective date of this Act is governed by 2-3 the law in effect on the date the claim was filed, and the former 2-4 law is continued in effect for that purpose. 2-5 SECTION 3. The importance of this legislation and the 2-6 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 2-7 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 2-8 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 2-9 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.