During the 82nd Texas Legislative Session (beginning today), I will track of bills affecting Texas private employers and will link to those bills here.  I intend to update this post weekly to add bills enrolled the previous week and keep a compilation of all employment-related bills here.  Check back weekly for updates.

Bills Enrolled

H.B.

Senate Bill 314 was enrolled in the Texas Legislature and would exclude, from an employer’s unemployment tax account (i.e., no chargeback), unemployment benefits paid to an employee who left employment because he or she (or their immediate family member) is a victim of sexual assault.  Bill text here.

 

The Texas Legislature commences its 82nd Legislative Session on January 11, 2011.  One of the bills recently enrolled for consideration is a bill to add Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act provisions to the Texas Labor Code.  Senate Bill 280 would extend the statute of limitations for allegations of discrimination in payment of compensation (or other undefined practices) to the last date

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

In addition to containing reasonable restrictions as to time, geographic scope and scope of activity to be restrained, Texas imposes additional requirements for enforceable covenants not to compete with licensed physicians.  Those additional requirements include that the covenant: 

  1. not deny the physician access to a list of his patients whom he had seen or treated

This legislative session the Texas Legislature passed, and the Governor signed, amendments that significantly expands the scope of the Texas Commission on Human Rights Act ("Act") as it relates to individuals with disabilities.

The amendment provides that:

  • The definition of "disability" is to be broadly construed to the maximum extent possible and shall include impairments that are episodic

With only a few weeks left in the 2009 Texas legislative session, here is an update on the status of several bills to watch for Texas employers.   To see a bill’s current status, click on the links below that are updated by the Texas legislature.

  • HB 32  Prohibiting discrimination against employees of workers’ compensation nonsubscribers who sustain

There are several pending bills in the Texas legislature that could effect the leaves of absence private employers must make available to their employees.  Some of these types of leaves have already been passed in more liberal states such as California and Massachusetts.  Pending leave of absence bills in the Texas legislature include:  

  • HB 615 Permitting employees with a child enrolled