83R7382 MMC-D
By: Thompson of Harris H.B. No. 1419
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to a report to the legislature by the Texas Workforce
Commission civil rights division concerning wage discrimination.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Subchapter J, Chapter 21, Labor Code, is amended
by adding Section 21.505 to read as follows:
Sec. 21.505. WAGE DISCRIMINATION REPORT. (a) The
commission shall submit a report to the legislature not later than
December 31 of each even-numbered year regarding the extent and
nature of wage discrimination, based on wage and demographic
information available from existing sources and collected under
this section, including information obtained from:
(1) other divisions of the Texas Workforce Commission,
the workers' compensation division of the Texas Department of
Insurance, and the comptroller; and
(2) complaints received by the commission.
(b) The commission shall use the wage and demographic
information collected under Subsection (a) for statistical and
research purposes and shall publish studies, analyses, reports, and
surveys based on that information as considered appropriate by the
commission. The commission may request and receive appropriate
information from additional state agencies.
(c) In preparing the report required under Subsection (a),
the commission shall adopt criteria determining whether a job is
dominated by employees of a particular race, color, disability,
religion, sex, national origin, or age. The criteria must include:
(1) whether the job has ever been formally classified
as a "male" or "female" job or a "white" or "minority" job;
(2) whether there is a history of discrimination
against persons in a protected class with regard to wages,
assignment, access to jobs, or other terms and conditions of
employment; and
(3) the demographic composition of the workforce in
equivalent jobs.
(d) The criteria adopted under Subsection (c) may include a
list of jobs.
SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2013.