BILL ANALYSIS
Senate Research Center H.B. 2118
81R10248 EAH-D By: Olivo et al. (Van de Putte)
AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT
William "Willie" Cardenas Velasquez was an active civil rights leader and a strong force in the push for increased political involvement of Mexican Americans, Latinos, and other minorities. He founded the Southwest Voter Registration Education Project in 1974 and co-founded the Mexican American Youth Organization. In 1995, he was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest honor any civilian can receive, by President Bill Clinton. Velasquez is only the second Latino ever to earn that honor. His dream of a more effective, informed, and involved electorate has now become his legacy through the organizations he established.
H.B. 2118 establishes May 9th as an optional state holiday called "Willie Velasquez Day."
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 Subchapter A, Chapter 662, Government Code, by adding Section 662.014, Government Code, as follows:
Sec. 662.014. OPTIONAL HOLIDAY FOR WILLIE VELASQUEZ DAY. (a) Requires that the ninth day of May be designated "Willie Velasquez Day" in observance of the birthday of William "Willie" Cardenas Velasquez.
(b) Authorizes the administrative head of a state agency to allow an employee of the agency to have a day off with pay on Willie Velasquez Day in lieu of any other state holiday that occurs on a weekday, other than a weekday on which an election is held throughout the state, on which the state agency is required to be open but on which the operations of the agency are required to be maintained at only a minimum level.
(c) Requires each state agency, on Willie Velasquez Day, to remain open and conduct the operations of the agency at a minimum level.
(d) Provides that a holiday allowed under this section is in lieu of another holiday prescribed by law. Provides that the total number of holidays in a year to which an employee of a state agency is entitled is not changed by this section.
SECTION 2. Effective date: September 1, 2009.