87R1187 RDS-D
By: Turner of Tarrant H.B. No. 2130
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to the determination of whether work is suitable for an
individual for the purpose of determining the individual's
unemployment compensation benefit eligibility.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Section 207.008(b), Labor Code, is amended to
read as follows:
(b) Notwithstanding any other provision of this subtitle,
work is not suitable and benefits may not be denied under this
subtitle to an otherwise eligible individual for refusal to accept
new work if:
(1) the position offered is vacant directly because of
a strike, lockout, or other labor dispute;
(2) the wages, hours, or other conditions of the work
offered are substantially less favorable to the individual than
those prevailing for similar work in the locality; [or]
(3) as a condition of being employed, the individual
is required to join a company union or to resign from or refrain
from joining a bona fide labor organization;
(4) the place of performance of the work offered is in
violation of federal, state, or local protocols relating to the
spread of infectious diseases, including COVID-19; or
(5) the work offered presents an unreasonable risk of
exposure to infectious diseases, including COVID-19, that cannot be
mitigated with reasonable care.
SECTION 2. The change in law made by this Act applies only
to a claim for unemployment compensation benefits filed with the
Texas Workforce Commission on or after the effective date of this
Act. A claim filed before the effective date of this Act is governed
by the law in effect on the date the claim was filed, and the former
law is continued in effect for that purpose.
SECTION 3. 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, 2021.