H.B. 2678 78(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


H.B. 2678
By: Hartnett
County Affairs
Committee Report (Unamended)



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 
The Local Government Code establishes four conditions when a county
employee may authorize payroll deductions:  payments to a credit union;
payments for membership in a labor union or employees' association;
payments for parking fees; or payments to a charitable organization.
Deductions for items such as a bus or mass transit pass or a fee for
personal calls on a county cell phone are not available because they are
not listed in the statute. 

House Bill 2678 amends the Local Government Code to allow a commissioners
court to authorize a deduction requested by a county employee if the
commissioners court determines that the payment serves a public purpose. 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY
It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any
additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or
institution. 

ANALYSIS
SECTION 1.  Amends Section 155, Local Government Code, by creating a new
Section, 155.001(a)(5) that gives a commissioners court the authority to
authorize a payroll deduction from a county employee's wages or salary if
the commissioners court determines the payment serves a public purpose. 

SECTION 2.  Effective date.

EFFECTIVE DATE
This Act takes effect immediately if it secures a two-thirds vote of all
members elected to each house. If the two-thirds vote is not received,
then the effective date is September 1, 2003.