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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to payment of wages to certain employees who miss work to |
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perform jury duty; providing a criminal penalty. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Chapter 61, Labor Code, is amended by adding |
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Subchapter G to read as follows: |
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SUBCHAPTER G. PAYMENT OF WAGES FOR WORK MISSED DUE TO JURY DUTY |
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Sec. 61.151. APPLICATION. (a) This subchapter applies to |
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an employer and employee as described by Chapter 122, Civil |
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Practice and Remedies Code. |
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(b) This subchapter does not apply to a self-employed |
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person. |
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Sec. 61.152. EMPLOYEE ENTITLED TO PAYMENT. An employee is |
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entitled to payment as provided by this chapter for employment |
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missed on the first day required of the employee while answering a |
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summons for jury duty in any court of the United States or this |
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state. |
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Sec. 61.153. WAGE PAYMENT PROCESS. (a) An employee who |
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receives a summons to report for jury duty shall provide a copy of |
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the summons to the employee's employer. |
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(b) An employer shall pay an employee the employee's usual |
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compensation, not to exceed $40, for the first day that the employee |
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responds to the jury summons or any part of that first day that |
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occurs on a regularly scheduled work day. An employer and employee |
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by mutual agreement may agree to increase the amount paid to the |
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employee under this section. |
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(c) An employer is not required under this section to |
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compensate an employee for more time than was actually spent by the |
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employee in answering the summons for jury duty. |
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Sec. 61.154. CRIMINAL PENALTY. (a) A person commits an |
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offense if the person is a private employer and the person violates |
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Section 61.152 or 61.153. |
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(b) An offense under this section is a Class B misdemeanor. |
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SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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Act takes effect September 1, 2007. |