HBA-LJP H.B. 2492 77(R)BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 2492
By: Bosse
State Affairs
3/14/2001
Introduced



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

Under current law, the state employee incentive and agency productivity
program (program) is designed to improve efficiency, safety, and customer
service in state agencies by awarding an employee or state employee group
that makes suggestions that improve a state agency with awards and bonuses.
House Bill 2492 modifies the eligibility requirements of the program and
increases the amount of savings to a state agency in order for an employee
or state employee group to be eligible to receive an award or bonus. 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this bill does
not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state
officer, department, agency, or institution. 

ANALYSIS

House Bill 2492 amends the Government Code to authorize the Texas Incentive
and Productivity Commission (commission) to seek and use contributions or
assistance from private institutions and organizations to implement the
state employee incentive and agency productivity program (program). 

The bill increases, from less than $100 to less than $500, the amount of
the net annual savings or the revenue increased based on an employee's
suggestion for an employee to be recognized by a certificate of
appreciation, but not be eligible for a bonus.  The bill increases, from
equal to or greater than $100 to equal to or greater than $500, the amount
that productivity must rise, after implementation cost, based on an
employee's or state employee group's suggestion for the employee to be
eligible for certain bonus awards or for a state employee group to be
eligible for certain bonuses. 

The bill provides that an elected or appointed official is not eligible to
participate in the program.  The bill also provides that if an employee is
temporarily assigned by the employee's agency to a group that is
established to develop process improvements in that agency, then the
employee is not ineligible to participate in the program solely because of
the employee's participation in that group. 

The bill authorizes an agency affected by the program to transfer savings
attributable to an implemented suggestion from the first year of the fiscal
biennium to the second year of the fiscal biennium. 

The bill provides that certain provisions prohibiting a state agency from
using appropriated money to publish a publication with enhanced printing
stock do not apply to a publication of the commission. 

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2001.