Bill Text: TX HB761 | 2019-2020 | 86th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to the establishment of the Texas Pay Equity Task Force.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2019-04-17 - Left pending in committee [HB761 Detail]
Download: Texas-2019-HB761-Introduced.html
86R1391 SCL-D | ||
By: Wu | H.B. No. 761 |
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relating to the establishment of the Texas Pay Equity Task Force. | ||
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
SECTION 1. (a) In this section, "task force" means the | ||
Texas Pay Equity Task Force. | ||
(b) The Texas Pay Equity Task Force is established to assess | ||
whether a disparity exists on the basis of gender or race in | ||
compensation paid to employees of state agencies, counties, and | ||
municipalities. | ||
(c) The task force is composed of nine members appointed as | ||
follows: | ||
(1) two representatives of state agencies and one | ||
representative of a nonprofit organization engaged in race or | ||
gender pay equity issues, appointed by the governor; | ||
(2) one representative of a county, one representative | ||
of a municipality, and one representative of a nonprofit | ||
organization engaged in race or gender pay equity issues, appointed | ||
by the lieutenant governor; and | ||
(3) one representative of a county, one representative | ||
of a municipality, and one representative of a nonprofit | ||
organization engaged in race or gender pay equity issues, appointed | ||
by the speaker of the house of representatives. | ||
(d) A task force member is not entitled to compensation for | ||
service on the task force but is entitled to reimbursement for | ||
actual and necessary expenses incurred in performing task force | ||
duties. The task force may accept gifts, grants, and donations to | ||
pay for those expenses. | ||
(e) The members of the task force shall elect a presiding | ||
officer from among the membership. | ||
(f) The task force shall meet at least quarterly at the call | ||
of the presiding officer. | ||
(g) Notwithstanding Chapter 551, Government Code, or any | ||
other law, the task force may meet by telephone conference call, | ||
videoconference, or other similar telecommunication method. A | ||
meeting held by telephone conference call, videoconference, or | ||
other similar telecommunication method is subject to the | ||
requirements of Sections 551.125(c), (d), (e), and (f), Government | ||
Code. | ||
(h) The task force shall conduct a study to determine | ||
whether a disparity exists on the basis of gender or race in | ||
compensation paid to employees of state agencies, counties, and | ||
municipalities. The task force may request payroll information, | ||
including the gender and race of each employee, from a state agency, | ||
county, or municipality, and the state agency, county, or | ||
municipality shall comply with the request. | ||
(i) If the task force determines that a pay disparity | ||
exists, the task force shall develop recommendations to eliminate | ||
the disparity. | ||
(j) The task force shall develop and submit a written report | ||
on the study and recommendations developed by the task force to the | ||
governor, the lieutenant governor, the speaker of the house of | ||
representatives, and each member of the legislature not later than | ||
November 1, 2020. | ||
(k) The task force is abolished and this Act expires June 1, | ||
2021. | ||
SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives | ||
a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as | ||
provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this | ||
Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this | ||
Act takes effect September 1, 2019. |