The bill still has a long way to go, but the proposed crackdown on the intentional misclassification of construction workers in Texas passed a milestone last week when it was voted unanimously out of a House Committee.
On a 7-0 vote, HB 1925 was sent to the full Texas House. Before it can get to the House floor for a vote, however, it has to be put on the House calendar by the Calendars Committee. This is a step in the process where many bills can die. With time running short in the legislative session, the Calendars Committee has the power to keep legislation, good or bad, from getting to the point where the representatives of the people get to decide the issue. I'm told that Calendars Committee Chairman Todd Hunter may be coming under pressure from opponents of the crackdown, including the largest homebuilders: Perry Homes, David Weekley Homes, and DR Horton. Representatives for those builders recently testified against the bill. They are the only group that has voiced opposition to the version of this brokered by Senator John Carona, R-Dallas.
The Texas-based associations that have registered and/or testified in favor of Senator John Carona's language in SB 676, which is now identical to Representative Davis's HB 1925, represent both business and labor. They are the Associated Builders and Contractors of Texas, Associated General Contractors – Texas Building Branch, Carpenters Union, Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors, Texas AFL-CIO, Texas Building Trades, Texas Construction Association, Texas Contractors for Fairness, and the Workers Defense Project.
If the bill can make it to the House floor, it will then move to the Senate.
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