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.