By Hopson                                             H.B. No. 1139
         77R5529 GWK-D                           
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to the compensation of employees of the Texas Department
 1-3     of Criminal Justice.
 1-4           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-5           SECTION 1. Chapter 493, Government Code, is amended by adding
 1-6     Section 493.031 to read as follows:
 1-7           Sec. 493.031.  PAY COMPARISONS. (a)  The executive director,
 1-8     not later than October 1, 2001, shall:
 1-9                 (1)  conduct a survey of salaries paid to state
1-10     correctional employees in each state; and
1-11                 (2)  determine for each employee position in the
1-12     department the amount that is the national average salary for that
1-13     position, based on the salaries paid for that position in the other
1-14     49 states.
1-15           (b)  The executive director shall identify within the
1-16     department's budget sufficient savings from appropriated funds to
1-17     increase the salary of each employee position to two percent above
1-18     the national average and notify the governor, the lieutenant
1-19     governor, and the speaker of the house of the existence of and
1-20     amount of the identified savings.  The executive director shall
1-21     include with the notice a request for an increase in employee
1-22     salaries through the budget execution process.
1-23           (c)  This section expires January 1, 2002.
1-24           SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
 2-1     a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
 2-2     provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution.  If this
 2-3     Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
 2-4     Act takes effect September 1, 2001.