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Texas Payroll/Personnel Resource

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Method and Frequency of Payroll
Twice-Monthly Payrolls

Some agencies are authorized to pay certain employees two times per month. In order to be eligible to be paid twice monthly, all of the following criteria must be met:

  • The employee must work for an agency that has received authorization to pay compensation twice monthly. The authorized agencies for twice-monthly payrolls are:
    • 320 – Texas Workforce Commission
    • 405 – Department of Public Safety
    • 529 – Health and Human Services Commission
    • 537 – Department of State Health Services
    • 601 – Texas Department of Transportation
    • 809 – State Preservation Board
  • The employee must be in a classified position under the state’s position classification plan.
  • The classified position must be classified below salary group A12 under Classified Salary Schedule A in the General Appropriations Act.
  • The agency must have at least 30 percent of its eligible employees paid twice monthly.

The Comptroller’s office is authorized by state law to designate other agencies to pay employees twice monthly. Agencies interested in this option should ensure they meet the requirements and submit a written request to the Fiscal Management Division. The request must describe how the specific requirements are satisfied.

Send written requests to:

Comptroller of Public Accounts
Fiscal Management Division, Payroll Policy
111 East 17th St.
Austin, Texas 78774

To submit your request electronically, please send a letter on agency letterhead to payroll.policy.mail@cpa.texas.gov.

Employees who are paid twice monthly will be paid on the first workday of the month and again on the 15th day of the month (or first workday thereafter). If an employee worked the last half of December, he or she would be paid on the first workday following Jan. 1 because Jan. 1 is a holiday.

For example, if Jan. 1 falls on a Friday, Saturday or Sunday, then the employee would get paid for the last half of the December payroll period on the following Monday. The payroll period being paid on Jan. 15th is for the first half of January. If the 15th were a weekend or holiday, the employee would be paid on the first workday after the 15th.

Employees who are otherwise eligible to be paid twice monthly may instead choose to be paid on a monthly basis.

Sources

Texas Government Code, Section 659.081; Texas Government Code, Section 659.082.