81R10653 TJS-F
By: Ellis S.B. No. 2551
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to the right of the Harris County Hospital District to
maintain local control over wages, hours, and other terms and
conditions of employment.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Subchapter C, Chapter 281, Health and Safety
Code, is amended by adding Section 281.060 to read as follows:
Sec. 281.060. HARRIS COUNTY HOSPITAL DISTRICT; CONTROL OF
EMPLOYMENT MATTERS. (a) In this section:
(1) "Covered employee" means an employee of the Harris
County Hospital District.
(2) "District" means the Harris County Hospital
District.
(3) "Employee association" means an organization in
which covered employees participate, that exists wholly or partly
for the purpose of dealing with one or more public or private
employers concerning grievances, labor disputes, wages, rates of
pay, hours of work, or conditions of employment affecting
employees, and whose members pay dues by means of an automatic
payroll deduction by policy adopted by the district.
(b) The district may not be denied local control over the
terms and conditions of employment of district employees, including
wages, salaries, rates of pay, and hours of work or over any other
personnel issue. Notwithstanding any other law, the district may
meet and confer with an employee association recognized under
standards established by the district as the sole and exclusive
bargaining agent for all covered employees and may enter into a
memorandum of understanding with the employee association
regarding terms and conditions of employment, including wages,
salaries, rates of pay, and hours of work, or regarding any other
personnel issue.
(c) A memorandum of understanding entered into under this
section:
(1) is not enforceable or binding on the district, an
employee association, or any other person or party; and
(2) may be submitted to the Commissioners Court of
Harris County for any purpose determined to be appropriate by the
district or the commissioners court.
(d) The district may, as part of its standards for
recognition of an employee association, require the employee
association to produce a petition signed by a majority of all
covered employees that requests recognition of the association as
the sole and exclusive bargaining agent for all covered employees.
(e) This chapter does not require the district and the
recognized employee association to meet and confer or reach an
agreement on any issue.
SECTION 2. 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.