Highlights 77th Texas Legislature - Senate

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WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT
77 th Texas Legislature
Exit Interviews for State Employees - S.B. 799
by Senator Duncan
House Sponsor: Representative Craddick
Variations in the way state agencies capture and report data on the reasons employees terminate
employment with the state raise questions about their validity. Employee turnover costs the state between
$127 and $254 million in 1999. Efforts to reduce state employee turnover face obstacles if the causes of
such turnover cannot be determined.
Requires each state agency to conduct exit interviews for employees who cease their employment at the
agency. The auditor will develop the questionnaire. The state may not alter the description of an
employee’s reason for leaving.
Requires the state auditor to submit a report to each state agency which contains the responses each
former employee gave to the questionnaire during each preceding quarter within 15 days after it ends.
State agencies may not share these responses with other state agencies.
Veteran Representative on Local Workforce Development Boards - H.B. 218
by Representative Wise, et al.
Senate Sponsor: Senator Van de Putte
Local workforce development boards (board) are composed of various representatives of the overall
workforce of the state, including the private sector, organized labor, and community-based organizations,
education agencies, vocational rehabilitation agencies, and public assistance agencies, among others.
However, there are no representatives of the Armed Forces of the United States included on a board.
Provides that at least one of the members of a board must be a veteran.
Increase in State Minimum Wage - H.B. 533
by Representatives Thompson and Maxey
Senate Sponsor: Senator Sibley
The Texas Minimum Wage Act provides that the current state minimum wage is $3.35 per hour for
nonexempt employees and $1.68 per hour for “tipped employees.” Under the Fair Labor Standards Act,
the current federal minimum wage for nonexempt employees is $5.15 per hour and $2.13 for employees
who rely on tips to subsist on this wage.
Correlates the state minimum wages to the federal rates for the same wages.
Senate Research Center 321