BILL ANALYSIS |
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C.S.H.B. 1524 |
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By: Farrar |
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Business & Industry |
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Committee Report (Substituted) |
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BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE
Interested parties have expressed concern regarding the vulnerability of Texas workers with limited English proficiency to violations of certain labor and employment laws. The parties assert that such workers are less likely to know their rights as employees compared to workers proficient in English and note that violations of such laws are more frequent in employment sectors with disproportionately high shares of workers with limited English proficiency. Moreover, when these workers do seek help to enforce their employment rights, they may find their access blocked by their inability to navigate systems in English. Workers may seek out assistance from community-based organizations, but many of these organizations have inadequate resources and staffing to fully assist workers. Additionally, some organizations have expressed frustration concerning the process of assisting workers to access services. C.S.H.B. 1524 seeks to ensure that Texas workers with limited English proficiency understand important notices they receive and are able to access and comprehend claims processes available to all workers in Texas.
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CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT
It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.
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RULEMAKING AUTHORITY
It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.
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ANALYSIS
C.S.H.B. 1524 amends the Labor Code to require the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) to make available any notice the TWC is required to provide to an employee under statutory provisions relating to the payment of wages in the two languages that are most commonly spoken in Texas and to ensure that employees are notified of an employee's ability to request from the TWC such notice or a wage claim form in either of those two languages.
C.S.H.B. 1524 requires the division of workers' compensation of the Texas Department of Insurance to make available to an injured employee any notice the division is required to provide to an injured employee under the Texas Workers' Compensation Act in the two languages that are most commonly spoken in Texas, except an agreement, award, report, or decision under Texas Workers' Compensation Act provisions relating to adjudication of disputes; a commissioner of workers' compensation order under the act; a matter involving an administrative violation proceeding under applicable provisions of the act; or a proceeding or activity under the Administrative Procedure Act.
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EFFECTIVE DATE
September 1, 2015.
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COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL AND SUBSTITUTE
While C.S.H.B. 1524 may differ from the original in minor or nonsubstantive ways, the following comparison is organized and formatted in a manner that indicates the substantial differences between the introduced and committee substitute versions of the bill.
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