Regulatory

Texas bill would limit local workplace rules on pay and breaks

House Bill 2127 has passed the Texas House and is headed to the Senate. Supporters say it would make it easier for businesses to operate statewide, while opponents say it would strip cities of authority over local ordinances.

A Texas bill moving through the Legislature would limit some city and county workplace rules. Supporters say the change would give businesses one set of standards across the state, while opponents say it would weaken local authority.

House Bill 2127 has passed the Texas House and is headed to the Senate, according to CBS News Texas. The bill would bar local ordinances that regulate how much businesses pay employees and how many breaks and other benefits they must provide.

The proposal could erase local rules now used by some Texas cities. CBS News Texas cited a Dallas ordinance passed in 2015 that requires construction workers to receive a 10-minute break for every four hours worked. Supporters say that kind of patchwork makes it harder to run a business across multiple cities. Opponents say it leaves workers and municipalities with fewer protections and less control.

Dallas business owner Greg Brown of W.W. Cannon, Inc. backs the bill. Brown told CBS News Texas that regulation should be consistent across Texas. He said he has operated in Dallas for 27 years and also has offices in Houston, Austin and San Antonio.

Brown said compliance with regulations costs him as much as 5% of business expenses. He also said more than 1,400 municipalities could impose different rules on his business if the bill does not become law. Brown has been a member of the National Federation of Independent Businesses, which strongly advocates for the legislation.

Hector Reyes Jr., assistant business manager at IBEW Local 20, strongly opposes the bill. He said the break rule helps workers find shade, drink water and recover from Texas heat.

Irving Mayor Rick Stopfer also said the bill would hurt cities and limit their ability to serve residents. Democratic state Sen. Nathan Johnson said a blanket wipeout of local governance would wreck cities and reverse about 110 years of local control.

Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick supports the legislation. He said Texans need a law that is consistent across the state.

What happens next is unclear in the brief beyond Senate consideration. CBS News Texas reported the bill was headed to the Senate for a hearing and likely approval.