H.B. No. 2975
AN ACT
relating to powers and duties of the Texas Workforce Commission
with respect to work and family policies.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Sections 81.001, 81.003, 81.0045, 81.0046,
81.005, 81.007, and 81.008, Labor Code, are amended to read as
follows:
Sec. 81.001. DEFINITIONS. In this chapter:
(1) ["Clearinghouse" means the Work and Family
Policies Clearinghouse.
[(2)] "Commission" means the Texas Workforce
Commission.
(2) "Work and family policies" means family-related
employment policies, including:
(A) hiring and scheduling practices;
(B) employee benefits;
(C) dependent care assistance; and
(D) other terms of employment related to family.
Sec. 81.003. WORK AND FAMILY POLICIES RESOURCES
[CLEARINGHOUSE]. The [Work and Family Policies Clearinghouse is
within the] commission shall maintain on its Internet website
information and resources for employers who are considering,
selecting, or implementing work and family policies, together with
an explanation that:
(1) the commission does not and may not provide legal
advice; and
(2) an employer is not required by law to implement a
work and family policy included on the commission's website.
Sec. 81.0045. DEPENDENT CARE GRANT PROGRAM. (a) The
commission [clearinghouse] may establish a grant program to provide
funds to public or private persons to conduct demonstration
dependent care projects.
(b) The commission [clearinghouse] shall adopt rules
governing the submission and approval of grant requests and the
cancellation of grants.
(c) To receive a grant, a person whose grant is approved
must execute an interagency agreement or a contract with the
commission [clearinghouse]. The contract must require the person
receiving the grant to perform the services as stated in the
approved grant request. The contract must contain appropriate
provisions for program and fiscal monitoring.
Sec. 81.0046. PROMOTION OF WORK AND FAMILY POLICIES
[EMPLOYEE DEPENDENT CARE BENEFITS]. In providing [technical
assistance and] information and resources under this chapter, the
commission may [clearinghouse shall] encourage employers to
implement work and family policies [provide employee dependent care
benefits] by:
(1) providing examples of work and family policies or
providing economic data that demonstrates [promoting] the economic
benefits realized by employers who implement work and family
policies [provide dependent care benefits], including decreased
absenteeism and turnover rates, greater productivity, and federal
and state tax incentives;
(2) advertising the availability of federal and state
tax incentives for work and family policies [employee dependent
care benefits]; and
(3) sharing other relevant information and resources
provided to the commission voluntarily by employers, employees, and
other stakeholders [providing technical assistance to employers
who establish employee dependent care benefit programs, including
assistance in obtaining federal and state tax incentives].
Sec. 81.005. SHARING [DEPOSIT OF] MATERIALS ON WORK AND
FAMILY POLICIES. The commission may share materials [Materials] on
work and [employment-related] family policies [issues] that are
published by state agencies with [may be deposited with the
clearinghouse for distribution to] employers, job applicants, and
other interested persons.
Sec. 81.007. RULES. The commission [by rule] may adopt
rules to implement this chapter [procedures to implement functions
under Sections 81.004 and 81.005. In adopting rules under this
section, the commission shall consider the recommendations of the
clearinghouse staff].
Sec. 81.008. GIFTS, GRANTS, AND DONATIONS. (a) The
commission [clearinghouse] may accept a gift or grant from a public
or private entity to fund any activity under this chapter.
(b) The commission may accept a donation of money, services,
or property only if the commission determines that the donation
furthers the lawful purposes and objectives of the commission under
this chapter and the donation is accepted in an open meeting by a
majority of the voting members of the commission. The donation must
be reported in the public records of the commission with the name of
the donor and the purpose of the donation. This subsection does not
apply to information and resources voluntarily shared with the
commission under Section 81.0046.
SECTION 2. Section 81.004, Labor Code, is repealed.
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023.
______________________________ ______________________________
President of the Senate Speaker of the House
I certify that H.B. No. 2975 was passed by the House on May 9,
2023, by the following vote: Yeas 128, Nays 14, 2 present, not
voting.
______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House
I certify that H.B. No. 2975 was passed by the Senate on May
24, 2023, by the following vote: Yeas 31, Nays 0.
______________________________
Secretary of the Senate
APPROVED: _____________________
Date
_____________________
Governor