85R201 MK-D
By: Gonzales of Williamson H.B. No. 3963
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to limitations on the issuance of certain one-time merit
payments by state agencies under the direction of an elected
officer.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Section 659.255, Government Code, is amended by
amending Subsection (f) and adding Subsection (h) to read as
follows:
(f) Except as provided by Subsection (h), a [A] state agency
may make a one-time merit payment to a classified employee in
relation to the employee's performance in the current classified
position held by the employee if:
(1) the employee has been employed by the agency in
that position for at least six continuous months before the
effective date of the payment;
(2) the effective date of the payment is at least six
months after the effective date of the employee's last:
(A) promotion; or
(B) merit salary increase for performance in that
position;
(3) the agency has complied with Subsection (c);
(4) the employee's job performance and productivity in
that position are consistently above that normally expected or
required; and
(5) the effective date of the payment is at least six
months after the effective date of the agency's last:
(A) payment to the employee of an enhanced
compensation award authorized by the General Appropriations Act; or
(B) one-time merit payment for performance in
that position.
(h) A state agency under the direction of an elected officer
may not make a one-time merit payment to a classified employee
within six months after the date on which the officer first assumes
the duties of the office.
SECTION 2. The changes in law made by this Act apply only to
a state officer who assumes office on or after the effective date of
this Act. A state officer who assumed office before the effective
date of this Act is subject to the law in effect at the time the
officer assumed office, and the current law is continued in effect
for that purpose.
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2017.