Texas 2023 - 88th Regular

Texas House Bill HB2975 Compare Versions

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Version 2 (New)

Old	New	Differences
1	1	H.B. No. 2975
2	2
3	3
4	4	AN ACT
5	5	relating to powers and duties of the Texas Workforce Commission
6	6	with respect to work and family policies.
7	7	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
8	8	SECTION 1. Sections 81.001, 81.003, 81.0045, 81.0046,
9	9	81.005, 81.007, and 81.008, Labor Code, are amended to read as
10	10	follows:
11	11	Sec. 81.001. DEFINITIONS. In this chapter:
12	12	(1) ["Clearinghouse" means the Work and Family
13	13	Policies Clearinghouse.
14	14	[(2)] "Commission" means the Texas Workforce
15	15	Commission.
16	16	(2) "Work and family policies" means family-related
17	17	employment policies, including:
18	18	(A) hiring and scheduling practices;
19	19	(B) employee benefits;
20	20	(C) dependent care assistance; and
21	21	(D) other terms of employment related to family.
22	22	Sec. 81.003. WORK AND FAMILY POLICIES RESOURCES
23	23	[CLEARINGHOUSE]. The [Work and Family Policies Clearinghouse is
24	24	within the] commission shall maintain on its Internet website
25	25	information and resources for employers who are considering,
26	26	selecting, or implementing work and family policies, together with
27	27	an explanation that:
28	28	(1) the commission does not and may not provide legal
29	29	advice; and
30	30	(2) an employer is not required by law to implement a
31	31	work and family policy included on the commission's website.
32	32	Sec. 81.0045. DEPENDENT CARE GRANT PROGRAM. (a) The
33	33	commission [clearinghouse] may establish a grant program to provide
34	34	funds to public or private persons to conduct demonstration
35	35	dependent care projects.
36	36	(b) The commission [clearinghouse] shall adopt rules
37	37	governing the submission and approval of grant requests and the
38	38	cancellation of grants.
39	39	(c) To receive a grant, a person whose grant is approved
40	40	must execute an interagency agreement or a contract with the
41	41	commission [clearinghouse]. The contract must require the person
42	42	receiving the grant to perform the services as stated in the
43	43	approved grant request. The contract must contain appropriate
44	44	provisions for program and fiscal monitoring.
45	45	Sec. 81.0046. PROMOTION OF WORK AND FAMILY POLICIES
46	46	[EMPLOYEE DEPENDENT CARE BENEFITS]. In providing [technical
47	47	assistance and] information and resources under this chapter, the
48	48	commission may [clearinghouse shall] encourage employers to
49	49	implement work and family policies [provide employee dependent care
50	50	benefits] by:
51	51	(1) providing examples of work and family policies or
52	52	providing economic data that demonstrates [promoting] the economic
53	53	benefits realized by employers who implement work and family
54	54	policies [provide dependent care benefits], including decreased
55	55	absenteeism and turnover rates, greater productivity, and federal
56	56	and state tax incentives;
57	57	(2) advertising the availability of federal and state
58	58	tax incentives for work and family policies [employee dependent
59	59	care benefits]; and
60	60	(3) sharing other relevant information and resources
61	61	provided to the commission voluntarily by employers, employees, and
62	62	other stakeholders [providing technical assistance to employers
63	63	who establish employee dependent care benefit programs, including
64	64	assistance in obtaining federal and state tax incentives].
65	65	Sec. 81.005. SHARING [DEPOSIT OF] MATERIALS ON WORK AND
66	66	FAMILY POLICIES. The commission may share materials [Materials] on
67	67	work and [employment-related] family policies [issues] that are
68	68	published by state agencies with [may be deposited with the
69	69	clearinghouse for distribution to] employers, job applicants, and
70	70	other interested persons.
71	71	Sec. 81.007. RULES. The commission [by rule] may adopt
72	72	rules to implement this chapter [procedures to implement functions
73	73	under Sections 81.004 and 81.005. In adopting rules under this
74	74	section, the commission shall consider the recommendations of the
75	75	clearinghouse staff].
76	76	Sec. 81.008. GIFTS, GRANTS, AND DONATIONS. (a) The
77	77	commission [clearinghouse] may accept a gift or grant from a public
78	78	or private entity to fund any activity under this chapter.
79	79	(b) The commission may accept a donation of money, services,
80	80	or property only if the commission determines that the donation
81	81	furthers the lawful purposes and objectives of the commission under
82	82	this chapter and the donation is accepted in an open meeting by a
83	83	majority of the voting members of the commission. The donation must
84	84	be reported in the public records of the commission with the name of
85	85	the donor and the purpose of the donation. This subsection does not
86	86	apply to information and resources voluntarily shared with the
87	87	commission under Section 81.0046.
88	88	SECTION 2. Section 81.004, Labor Code, is repealed.
89	89	SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023.
90	90	______________________________ ______________________________
91	91	President of the Senate Speaker of the House
92	92	I certify that H.B. No. 2975 was passed by the House on May 9,
93	93	2023, by the following vote: Yeas 128, Nays 14, 2 present, not
94	94	voting.
95	95	______________________________
96	96	Chief Clerk of the House
97	97	I certify that H.B. No. 2975 was passed by the Senate on May
98	98	24, 2023, by the following vote: Yeas 31, Nays 0.
99	99	______________________________
100	100	Secretary of the Senate
101	101	APPROVED: _____________________
102	102	Date
103	103	_____________________
104	104	Governor