[Minor revision–posted 12/9/22 (replaces 5/12/20 edition)]
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Operating Policy and Procedure

OP 69.04: Payroll Deduction for Membership Fees

DATE: December 9, 2022

PURPOSE: The purpose of this Operating Policy/Procedure (OP) is to define policies and procedures that are applicable to the administration of payroll deductions for membership fees.

REVIEW: This OP will be reviewed in March of even-numbered years by the Chief Payroll Officer with substantive revisions forwarded to the Senior Vice President for Administration & Finance and Chief Financial Officer.

POLICY/PROCEDURE

1.  Background

Senate Bill 3, Article 3, 72nd Legislature of Texas, first called session, has given employees the ability to authorize a payroll deduction for payment of membership fees in an eligible organization.

2.  General Description

Membership fees are dues or fees that an eligible organization requires an employee to pay to maintain membership in the organization. An eligible organization is an organization that has been certified by the Comptroller of Public Accounts. An organization may be an association, union, or other organization that advocates the interests of state employees concerning grievances, compensation, hours of work, or other conditions or benefits of employment.

3.  Authorization and Change of Deductions

a.    An organization must be certified by the Comptroller of Public Accounts before it may receive membership fees for an employee through payroll deductions.

b.    Each organization will provide deduction authorization forms for employees to complete. An employee may authorize one or more deductions from the employee's salary or wages to pay membership fees in an organization. After the employee completes the form, the organizations will deliver the forms for processing to Texas Tech University, Payroll & Tax Services, Attention: Payroll Benefits, Box 41092, Lubbock, Texas 79409-1092.

4.  Effective Date of Authorization Forms

a.    An employee's membership fee deduction will be effective the first workday of the month following the month in which the university receives a complete authorization form.

b.    If an authorization form is submitted to change the amount of the deduction, the change is effective the first workday of the month following the month in which the university receives the form. For example, on authorization forms received between March 1 and March 31, the deduction would be taken from pay for time worked in April.

5.  Salary or Wages to Support a Deduction

a.    The employee is solely responsible for ensuring that the employee's salary or wages are sufficient to support an authorized deduction.

b.    If the employee's salary or wages are not sufficient to cover the entire authorized deduction, then no part of the deduction may be made.

c.    If there is not sufficient salary to support the deduction, the deduction may not be made up by deducting from subsequent payments of salary or wages to the employee.

d.    The university is not liable or responsible for any damages or other consequences resulting from an employee authorizing an incorrect membership fee deduction amount.

6.  Frequency of Deductions

a.    An authorized deduction must be calculated so that the total membership fee paid by the employee per year is spread evenly over 12 monthly deductions.

7.  Cancellation of Deductions

a.    An employee may cancel the deduction for membership fees at any time by properly completing a cancellation form or providing other written notice to the organization or Texas Tech.

b.    When an employee provides notice directly to Texas Tech, the notice will be forwarded to the organization with the next detail report.

c.    The notice of cancellation will become effective the first of the month following receipt of the notice.

d.    The employee is responsible for ensuring that properly completed cancellation forms and cancellation notices are received by the deadline.

8.  Transmittal of Funds to Organizations

a.    Payroll & Tax Services will forward the deductions for membership fees to the organizations by the 20th calendar day of the month.

b.    A detail report of the following will be sent with the payment to each organization.

(1)    Institution name;

(2)    Organization name;

(3)    Report date;

(4)    Employee name;

(5)    Employee social security number; and

(6)    The membership fee deducted amount.

9.  Organizations

a.    The following organizations have been approved by the Comptroller of Public Accounts:

(1)    Texas Public Employees Association (TPEA);

(2)    Texas State Employees Union (TSEU)/CWA;

(3)    American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME);

(4)    Correctional Peace Officers Foundation (CPOF); and

(5)    Department of Public Safety Officers Association.

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