Bill Text: TX HB162 | 2015-2016 | 84th Legislature | Introduced


Bill Title: Relating to administrative penalties assessed by the Texas Workforce Commission against certain employers for failure to pay wages.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2015-04-28 - Committee report sent to Calendars [HB162 Detail]

Download: Texas-2015-HB162-Introduced.html
  84R1045 MAW-F
 
  By: González H.B. No. 162
 
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to administrative penalties assessed by the Texas
  Workforce Commission against certain employers for failure to pay
  wages.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Section 61.053, Labor Code, is amended by
  amending Subsection (a) and adding Subsection (a-1) to read as
  follows:
         (a)  If the commission examiner, a wage claim appeal
  tribunal, or the commission determines that an employer acted in
  bad faith in not paying wages as required by this chapter, the
  examiner, tribunal, or commission, in addition to ordering the
  payment of the wages, shall [may] assess an administrative penalty
  against the employer.
         (a-1)  For purposes of Subsection (a), acts that constitute
  bad faith by an employer include:
               (1)  a history of previous violations of this chapter;
               (2)  failure to pay wages to an employee as required by
  this chapter as an act of discrimination or retaliation against the
  employee;
               (3)  failure to pay wages as required by this chapter to
  multiple employees at the same time;
               (4)  failure to pay wages to an employee as required by
  this chapter knowing that the failure was a violation of state law;
  or
               (5)  actions showing reckless disregard of the
  requirements of this chapter.
         SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2015.
feedback