In less than a month, the Texas Legislature starts its 82nd Legislative Session.  In Texas the Legislature only meets in regular session for 140 days every two years.  The 82nd Legislative Session kicks off on January 11, 2011.  Over the term of the session, I’ll try to identify the bills that, if passed, will impact Texas employment law.  In session prefiling, the following bills have been filed:

HB 223 (Strama) (Relating to unemployment compensation modernization)

HB 276 (Alonzo) (Relating to the minimum wage -would increase the state minimum wage to the greater of $6.15 or the federal minimum wage).

HB 387 (Turner) (Relating to the right of an employee who is a parent of a child enrolled in a special education program to time off from work to meet with certain persons affecting the eduction of the child).

SB 64 (Zaffirini) (Relating to the right of an employee who is victim of a crime to time off from work to attend court proceedings related to that crime).