88R4720 SCP-D
 
  By: Romero, Jr. H.B. No. 1549
 
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to administrative penalties assessed by the Texas
  Workforce Commission against certain employers for failure to pay
  wages.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Section 61.053, Labor Code, is amended by
  amending Subsection (a) and adding Subsection (a-1) to read as
  follows:
         (a)  If the commission examiner, a wage claim appeal
  tribunal, or the commission determines that an employer acted in
  bad faith in not paying wages as required by this chapter, the
  examiner, tribunal, or commission, in addition to ordering the
  payment of the wages, shall [may] assess an administrative penalty
  against the employer.
         (a-1)  For purposes of Subsection (a), acts that constitute
  bad faith by an employer include:
               (1)  a history of previous violations of this chapter;
               (2)  failure to pay wages to an employee as required by
  this chapter as an act of discrimination or retaliation against the
  employee;
               (3)  failure to pay wages as required by this chapter to
  multiple employees at the same time;
               (4)  failure to pay wages to an employee as required by
  this chapter knowing that the failure was a violation of state law;
  or
               (5)  actions showing reckless disregard of the
  requirements of this chapter, including:
                     (A)  repeatedly:
                           (i)  failing to reply to correspondence from
  a commission examiner, wage claim appeal tribunal, or the
  commission related to a wage claim; or
                           (ii)  refusing to participate in the wage
  claim process;
                     (B)  issuing a check for the payment of wages from
  an account that is closed or has insufficient funds;
                     (C)  stopping payment of a check issued to an
  employee for the payment of wages; or
                     (D)  unreasonably withholding or delaying payment
  of wages, including by conditioning the payment of wages owed on the
  performance of additional work.
         SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2023.