BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 1839

By: Israel

State Affairs

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Interested parties note that certain state employees who wish to work from home are required to obtain approval from the head of the employee's agency or department on a case-by-case basis. The parties point out that this law makes it difficult for state agencies to develop telework and flexible hour policies that allow employees to work from home and predict that such a policy could help lessen traffic congestion in areas with high concentrations of state employees, among other benefits. H.B. 1839 seeks to provide for the creation and implementation of an alternative work site policy at certain state agencies.

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.

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.

ANALYSIS

H.B. 1839 amends the Government Code to authorize the administrative head of a state agency to adopt an agency policy that authorizes the supervisor of an employee of the agency to permit the employee to work from an alternative work site, including the employee's residence, as the employee's regular or assigned temporary place of employment.

H.B. 1839 authorizes a state employee who works from an alternative work site as part of an approved agency policy with the approval of the employee's supervisor to complete all or part of the employee's working hours, including compensatory time and overtime, at times other than the regular working hours established for state employees.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2015.