HBA-ALS H.B. 1099 76(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 1099
By: Tillery
County Affairs
4/19/1999
Introduced



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

Currently, a political subdivision of the state is prohibited from entering
into a collective bargaining contract with a labor organization concerning
wages, hours, or employment conditions of public employees, and from
recognizing a labor organization as the bargaining agent for a group of
public employees.  As a result, a local entity must seek an exemption from
the legislature in order to negotiate with a labor organization acting as a
bargaining agent for public employees such as firefighters and police
officers.  The purpose of this bill is to grant local entities more control
over their employment and contracting practices with public employees. 

H.B. 1099 allows a political subdivision to negotiate with and enter into
collective bargaining contracts with a labor organization.  H.B. 1099 also
allows a political subdivision to recognize a labor organization as the
bargaining agent for a group of public employees. 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this bill does
not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state
officer, department, agency, or institution. 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1.  Amends Section 617.002, Government Code, as follows:

Sec. 617.002.  New title: COLLECTIVE BARGAINING BY STATE EMPLOYEES
PROHIBITED.  Deletes language prohibiting a political subdivision of the
state from entering into a collective bargaining contract with a labor
organization concerning wages, hours, or employment conditions of public
employees, and from recognizing a labor organization as the bargaining
agent for a group of public employees.  Deletes "public" from existing
title. 

SECTION 2.  Emergency clause.
  Effective date: upon passage.