Texas HB 4 (2023), the Texas Regulatory Consistency Act, preempts city paid-leave mandates. Dallas's 2019 Earned Paid Sick Leave Ordinance was struck down before enforcement, leaving no local paid-leave rule today.
The Dallas City Council passed an Earned Paid Sick Leave Ordinance in April 2019 modeled on Austin's. A federal court enjoined enforcement in March 2020 on Texas Constitution preemption grounds, mirroring rulings against Austin and San Antonio. The 2023 Texas Regulatory Consistency Act (HB 4), codified across multiple Texas codes, broadly preempts municipal regulation of employer-employee relations including paid leave, hours, and scheduling. Dallas formally suspended the ordinance and removed enforcement provisions. No Texas state law mandates paid sick leave for private employers. Federal FMLA continues to provide unpaid job-protected leave for eligible workers at employers with 50 or more employees.
There is no Dallas paid-leave penalty because the ordinance is unenforceable. Federal FMLA violations carry back-pay, reinstatement, and civil penalties enforced by the U.S. Department of Labor and private suit, but no city fine applies.
Dallas, TX
Texas Labor Code Chapter 62 reserves minimum-wage authority to the state and ties Texas to the federal $7.25 floor. Dallas cannot enact a higher city minimum...
Dallas, TX
The Texas Regulatory Consistency Act (HB 4, 2023) bars cities from regulating employer scheduling practices. Dallas has no fair-workweek or predictive-schedu...
See how Dallas's paid leave preemption rules stack up against other locations.
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