Bill Text: TX HB499 | 2021-2022 | 87th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to the establishment of the Texas Pay Equity Task Force.
Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2021-02-25 - Referred to State Affairs [HB499 Detail]
Download: Texas-2021-HB499-Introduced.html
| 87R353 SCL-D | ||
| By: Wu | H.B. No. 499 | |
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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, disability, 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 gender, | ||
| disability, or race 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 gender, disability, or race 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 gender, disability, or race 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, disability, or | ||
| race in compensation paid to employees of state agencies, counties, | ||
| and municipalities. The task force may request payroll information, | ||
| including the gender, disability status, 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, 2022. | ||
| (k) The task force is abolished and this Act expires June 1, | ||
| 2023. | ||
| 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, 2021. | ||
