By: Watson S.B. No. 2298

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to compensation of certain state employees.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

SECTION 1. Subsection (i), Section 659.016, Government Code, is amended to read as follows:

(i) Except as provided by this subsection, an [An] employee covered by this section may not be paid for any unused compensatory time. With authorization from the administrative head of the agency for which the employee works or that person's designee, an employee may be paid for the hours of compensatory time the employee earns for work directly related to a disaster or emergency declared by the appropriate officer of the state or federal government.

SECTION 2. Section 659.018, Government Code, is amended to read as follows:

Sec. 659.018. COMPENSATORY TIME: PLACE WHERE WORK PERFORMED. (a) Except under circumstances specified in the General Appropriations Act or as provided by Subsection (b), an employee of a state agency as defined by Section 658.001 may not, for hours worked during any calendar week, accumulate compensatory time off under Section 659.015(f) or 659.016 to the extent that the hours are attributable to work performed at a location other than the employee's regular or temporarily assigned place of employment.

(b) An employee may accumulate compensatory time off for hours worked during any calendar week at the [The] employee's personal residence if the employee obtains the advance approval of the administrative head of the agency for which the employee works or that person's designee [may not be considered the employee's regular or temporarily assigned place of employment].

SECTION 3. Section 659.255, Government Code, is amended by adding Subsection (g) to read as follows:

(g) The six-month limitations prescribed by Subsections (f)(2) and (5) do not apply if the administrative head of the agency determines in writing that the merit payment is made in relation to the employee's performance during a natural disaster or other extraordinary circumstance.

SECTION 4. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this Act takes effect September 1, 2009.