BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 2995

By: Walle

Government Transparency & Operation

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Interested parties note that some state employees are eligible to be paid for compensatory time earned while others are not eligible to be paid for such time. It is reportedly common for employees in high demand fields such as information technology (IT) to earn compensatory time that cannot be taken because taking leave would cause a disruption to business. The parties note the challenges that state agencies face in competing with the private sector for qualified IT professionals and suggest that allowing state employees in this field to be paid for earned compensatory time would improve turnover rates. H.B. 2995 seeks to aid state agencies in their efforts to retain qualified IT professionals.

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. 2995 amends the Government Code to specify that the amount of authorized pay made to certain state employees, regardless of whether the employee is subject to overtime provisions of the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), for the hours of compensatory time the employee earns for work directly related to a declared disaster or emergency is an amount based on the employee's regular rate of pay. The bill authorizes the administrative head of a state agency, or that person's designee, to pay certain state employees, regardless of whether the employee is subject to overtime provisions of FLSA, an amount based on the employee's regular rate of pay for all or part of the hours of compensatory time the employee earns for work in an information technology position requiring skills in high demand in the information technology market. 

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2015.