BILL ANALYSIS

Senate Research Center                                                                                                      S.B. 1315

                                                                                                                                       By: Gallegos

State Affairs

3/30/2005

As Filed

AUTHOR'S/SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT

Currently, the Texas Workers' Compensation Commission (TWCC) requires employers to post a 24-hour hotline number for workers to report unsafe workplaces and violations of health and safety laws.  Many times, this number is posted in a location that is not accessible to employees, making it unlikely that an employee will be able to access this number without his or her employer knowing about a potential report of a violation.  This causes many violations to go unreported.  As proposed, S.B. 1315 requires TWCC to adopt rules requiring the toll-free hotline number to be posted in a place accessible to employees. 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

Rulemaking authority is expressly granted to the Texas Workers' Compensation Commission in SECTION 1 (Section 411.081, Labor Code) of this bill.

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1.  Amends Section 411.081, Labor Code, by adding Subsection (c), to require the Texas Workers' Compensation Commission to adopt rules requiring that notice of a 24-hour toll-free telephone service for reports of violations of occupational health or safety law be posted in a conspicuous place in the employer's place of business and in sufficient locations to be convenient to all employees. 

SECTION 2.  Effective date:  September 1, 2005.