HBA-TYH S.B. 107 76(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisS.B. 107
By: Truan
State Affairs
3/30/1999
Engrossed



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

Cesar Chavez was an active civil rights leader who first organized U.S.
farm workers and co-founded the United Farm Workers of America.  Chavez
rallied for and succeeded in improving the wages, schooling, housing, and
other living conditions of  farm workers of all ethnic backgrounds.  In
1991, Chavez received one of Mexico's premier awards, Aguila Azteca (Aztec
Eagle) for contributions made outside Mexico, and was posthumously
presented in 1994 with the United States' highest civilian honor, the
Presidential Medal of Freedom.  A joint resolution pending in the U.S.
House of Representatives, H.J.R. 65, would designate March 31, Chavez's
birthday, as a national holiday.  In Texas, a coalition of labor, church,
youth and advocacy groups has been organizing to have Texas declare a state
holiday in his honor.  S.B. 107 establishes March 31st as a state holiday
called "Cesar Chavez Day." 

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 Subchapter A, Chapter 662, Government Code, by adding
Section 662.013, as follows: 

Sec. 662.013.  OPTIONAL HOLIDAY FOR CESAR CHAVEZ DAY.  Requires the 31st
day of March to be designated "Cesar Chavez Day" in observance of the
birthday of Cesar Chavez.  Authorizes the administrative head of a state
agency to allow an employee of the agency to have a day off with pay on
Cesar Chavez Day in lieu of any other state holiday that occurs on a
weekday, other than a weekday on which an election is held throughout the
state, on which the state agency is required to be open but on which the
operations of the agency are required to be maintained at only a minimum
level.  Requires each state agency, on Cesar Chavez Day, to remain open and
conduct the operations of the agency at a minimum level. Provides that a
holiday allowed under this section is in lieu of another holiday prescribed
by law.  The total number of holidays in a year to which an employee of a
state agency is entitled is not changed by this section. 

SECTION 2.  Effective date: September 1, 1999.

SECTION 3.  Emergency clause.