Texas 2015 - 84th Regular

Texas Senate Bill SB1032 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New		Differences
1		-	By: Watson, et al. S.B. No. 1032
2		-	(Israel)
	1	+	S.B. No. 1032
3	2
4	3
5		-	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
6	4		AN ACT
7	5		relating to authority for certain state employees to work flexible
8	6		hours and to work from home or other authorized alternative work
9	7		sites.
10	8		BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
11	9		SECTION 1. Section 658.006, Government Code, is amended to
12	10		read as follows:
13	11		Sec. 658.006. VARIED [STAGGERED] WORKING HOURS.
14	12		(a) Normal working hours for employees of a state agency may be
15	13		staggered for traffic regulation or public safety.
16	14		(b) An employee who works from an alternative work site as
17	15		part of a policy approved under Section 658.010 may, with the
18	16		approval of the employee's supervisor, complete all or part of the
19	17		employee's working hours, including compensatory time and
20	18		overtime, at times other than the regular working hours established
21	19		under Section 658.005. An employee who works from an alternative
22	20		work site is subject to existing agency compensatory time and
23	21		overtime policies.
24	22		SECTION 2. Section 658.010, Government Code, is amended by
25	23		amending Subsection (b) and adding Subsections (c), (d), and (e) to
26	24		read as follows:
27	25		(b) Except as provided by Subsection (c), the [The]
28	26		employee's personal residence may not be considered the employee's
29	27		regular or assigned temporary place of employment without prior
30	28		written authorization from the administrative head of the employing
31	29		state agency.
32	30		(c) The administrative head of a state agency may adopt an
33	31		agency policy that authorizes the supervisor of an employee of the
34	32		agency to permit the employee to work from an alternative work site,
35	33		including the employee's residence, as the employee's regular or
36	34		assigned temporary place of employment.
37	35		(d) A policy adopted under Subsection (c) must:
38	36		(1) identify factors the state agency will consider in
39	37		evaluating whether a position is suitable for an alternative work
40	38		site, including whether:
41	39		(A) the position requires on-site resources;
42	40		(B) the provision of in-person service is
43	41		essential to the position; and
44	42		(C) in-person interaction is essential to the
45	43		position;
46	44		(2) require an employee who will work from an
47	45		alternative work site to enter into an agreement with the agency
48	46		that establishes the employee's responsibilities and requirements
49	47		for communicating with and reporting to the agency; and
50	48		(3) provide for the revocation of an employee's
51	49		permission to work from an alternative work site if:
52	50		(A) the position is no longer suitable for an
53	51		alternative work site based on the factors identified under
54	52		Subdivision (1); or
55	53		(B) the employee violates the agreement entered
56	54		into under Subdivision (2).
57	55		(e) Not later than November 1 of each even-numbered year,
58	56		the Texas Department of Information Resources shall compile and
59	57		submit a report to the legislature regarding the agencies that have
60	58		adopted a policy under Subsection (c). The Texas A&M
61	59		Transportation Institute may assist in creating the report. The
62	60		report shall include the following information:
63	61		(1) a list of agencies that have adopted a policy;
64	62		(2) a description of the policies' requirements;
65	63		(3) an estimate of the number of employees who work
66	64		from an alternative work site under a policy;
67	65		(4) an assessment of the productivity, efficiency, and
68	66		value to taxpayers of employees working from an alternative work
69	67		site under a policy;
70	68		(5) an assessment regarding the policies' effect on
71	69		congestion; and
72	70		(6) any other information the Texas Department of
73	71		Information Resources determines to be relevant and beneficial.
74	72		SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2015.
	73	+	______________________________ ______________________________
	74	+	President of the Senate Speaker of the House
	75	+	I hereby certify that S.B. No. 1032 passed the Senate on
	76	+	April 22, 2015, by the following vote: Yeas 22, Nays 8.
	77	+	______________________________
	78	+	Secretary of the Senate
	79	+	I hereby certify that S.B. No. 1032 passed the House on
	80	+	May 25, 2015, by the following vote: Yeas 77, Nays 63, one
	81	+	present not voting.
	82	+	______________________________
	83	+	Chief Clerk of the House
	84	+	Approved:
	85	+	______________________________
	86	+	Date
	87	+	______________________________
	88	+	Governor