Last week the Texas Legislature opened its 83rd regular session.  The Texas Legislature meets every other year and only for 140 days.  Here are the labor and employment related bills that have been introduced that may eventually effect Texas employers.  I will supplement this post with newly filed bills during the session.

HB 372 (Deshotel) (Relating to establishing the Workplace Prevention Fraud Act; providing penalties)

HB 418 (Farias) (Relating to leave for certain veterans returning to state employment)

HB 342 (Marquez) (Relating to employees of or applicants for employment with school districts who have been convicted of or pled guilty to certain offenses)

HB 318 (Giddings)/SB 118 (Hinojosa)  (Relating to prohibiting an employer from requiring or requesting access to the personal accounts of employees and job applicants through electronic communication devices; establishing an unlawful employment practice)

HB 298 (Rodriguez, E) (Relating to prohibiting employer retaliation against employees who seek recovery of unpaid wages and procedures in wage claim hearings conducted by the TWC; providing administrative penalties)

HB 285 (Zedler) (Relating to prohibiting discrimination by public institutions of higher education against faculty members and students based on their conduct of research relating to intelligent design)

HB 480 (Alvarado) (Relating to leave for certain state employees who are attending educational activities of their children.

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