SRC-AMY S.B. 981 78(R)   BILL ANALYSIS


Senate Research Center   S.B. 981
78R5879 KSD-DBy: Brimer
Business & Commerce
4/17/2003
As Filed


DIGEST AND PURPOSE 

Currently, an individual is disqualified for unemployment benefits if that
individual is unemployed due to a labor dispute at another workplace that
is owned or operated by the same employer and supplies materials or
services necessary to continue operation of the place last employed.  As
proposed, S.B. 981 deletes language disqualifying an individual for
benefits for a benefit period in which the individual's unemployment is
caused by a labor dispute at certain places.  This bill also protects an
individual from disqualification for benefits when that individual has
been locked out of the individual's place of employment or has been placed
on emergency leave without pay by the individual's employer.  S.B. 981
also provides that paying regular union dues does not constitute financing
a labor dispute. 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to
a state officer, institution, or agency. 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1.  Amends Section 207.048, Labor Code, by amending Subsections
(a), (b), and (f) and adding Subsection (g), as follows: 

(a) Deletes the disqualification for benefits for a benefit period in
which the individual's total or partial unemployment is caused by a labor
dispute at certain places.  Makes nonsubstantive changes. 

(b) Includes as an exception to disqualification for benefits under this
section an individual who can satisfactorily prove to have been locked out
of the individual's place of employment or to have been placed on
emergency leave without pay by the individual's employer. 

(f) Defines "lock out."  Makes nonsubstantive changes.

(g) Provides that the payment of regular union dues does not constitute
financing a labor dispute, for the purposes of Subsection (b). 

SECTION 2.  Effective date: upon passage or September 1, 2003.