BILL ANALYSIS
Senate Research Center H.B. 1470
81R26689 KKA-D By: Thibaut (Van de Putte)
AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT
Current law provides for assault leave; however, school districts are not required to notify employees that they have certain rights when they are assaulted while performing their duties for the school district. Because of this, most employees are unaware that they have such rights, and therefore, they do not exercise those rights, resulting in unpaid, lost time from work and ultimately, the needless loss of employment.
H.B. 1470 requires each school district to notify district employees of the assault leave in any informational handbook that the district provides in electronic or paper form in the relevant section of the handbook. The bill serves as a victims’ rights notice to all employees who may be or have been assaulted while performing their duties for a school district.
H.B. 1470 relates to notification regarding entitlement of school district employees to leave time in circumstances involving assault.
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 22.003, Education Code, by adding Subsection (c-1), as follows:
(c-1) Requires that any informational handbook a school district provides to employees in an electronic or paper form or makes available by posting on the district website include notification of an employee's rights under Subsection (b) (relating to entitling an employee of a school district who is assaulted during the employee's regular duties to the number of days of leave as necessary to recuperate) in the relevant section of the handbook. Requires that any form used by a school district through which an employee may request leave under this section include assault leave under Subsection (b) as an option.
SECTION 2. Provides that this Act applies beginning with the 2009-2010 school year.
SECTION 3. Effective date: upon passage or September 1, 2009.