Texas 2019 - 86th Regular

Texas Senate Bill SB271 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	86R2547 TSR-D
2	2	By: Watson S.B. No. 271
3	3
4	4
5	5	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
6	6	AN ACT
7	7	relating to authority for certain state employees to work flexible
8	8	hours and to work from home or other authorized alternative work
9	9	sites.
10	10	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
11	11	SECTION 1. Section 658.006, Government Code, is amended to
12	12	read as follows:
13	13	Sec. 658.006. VARIED [STAGGERED] WORKING HOURS. (a)
14	14	Normal working hours for employees of a state agency may be
15	15	staggered for traffic regulation or public safety.
16	16	(b) An employee who works from an alternative work site as
17	17	part of a policy approved under Section 658.010 may, with the
18	18	approval of the employee's supervisor, complete all or part of the
19	19	employee's work hours, not including compensatory time and
20	20	overtime, at times other than the regular working hours established
21	21	under Section 658.005.
22	22	SECTION 2. Section 658.010, Government Code, is amended by
23	23	amending Subsection (b) and adding Subsections (c), (d), and (e) to
24	24	read as follows:
25	25	(b) Except as provided by Subsection (c), the [The]
26	26	employee's personal residence may not be considered the employee's
27	27	regular or assigned temporary place of employment without prior
28	28	written authorization from the administrative head of the employing
29	29	state agency.
30	30	(c) The administrative head of a state agency may adopt an
31	31	agency policy that authorizes the supervisor of an employee of the
32	32	agency to permit the employee to work from an alternative work site,
33	33	including the employee's personal residence, as the employee's
34	34	regular or assigned temporary place of employment.
35	35	(d) A policy adopted under Subsection (c) must:
36	36	(1) identify factors the state agency will consider in
37	37	evaluating whether a position is suitable for an alternative work
38	38	site, including whether:
39	39	(A) the position requires on-site resources;
40	40	(B) the provision of in-person service is
41	41	essential to the position; and
42	42	(C) in-person interaction is essential to the
43	43	position;
44	44	(2) require an employee who will work from an
45	45	alternative work site to enter into an agreement with the state
46	46	agency that establishes the employee's responsibilities and the
47	47	requirements for communicating with and reporting to the agency;
48	48	and
49	49	(3) provide for the revocation of an employee's
50	50	permission to work from an alternative work site if:
51	51	(A) the position is no longer suitable for an
52	52	alternative work site based on the factors identified under
53	53	Subdivision (1); or
54	54	(B) the employee violates the agreement entered
55	55	into under Subdivision (2).
56	56	(e) Not later than November 1 of each even-numbered year,
57	57	the Department of Information Resources shall compile and submit a
58	58	report to the legislature providing information about policies
59	59	adopted under Subsection (c). The Texas A&M Transportation
60	60	Institute may assist in creating the report. The report must
61	61	include:
62	62	(1) a list of state agencies that have adopted a
63	63	policy;
64	64	(2) a description of the requirements of each agency's
65	65	policy;
66	66	(3) an estimate of the number of employees who work
67	67	from an alternative work site as permitted under a policy;
68	68	(4) an assessment of the productivity, efficiency, and
69	69	value to taxpayers of employees working from an alternative work
70	70	site as permitted under a policy;
71	71	(5) an assessment regarding the collective effect of
72	72	agency policies on traffic congestion; and
73	73	(6) any other information the Department of
74	74	Information Resources determines to be relevant and beneficial.
75	75	SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2019.