Tex. Labor Code § 61.053
This is the official text of Tex. Labor Code § 61.053, part of Texas’s Labor Code — governs wages, workplace safety, and workers' compensation.
Not legal advice. This page reproduces the official text of a government statute for reference only. Laws change, and how a statute applies depends on your specific facts. For advice about your situation, consult a licensed attorney in your state.
§ 61.053. BAD FAITH; ADMINISTRATIVE PENALTY.
Official statutory text
(a) If the commission examiner, a wage claim appeal tribunal, or the commission determines that an employer acted in bad faith in not paying wages as required by this chapter, the examiner, tribunal, or commission, in addition to ordering the payment of the wages, may assess an administrative penalty against the employer.
(b) If the commission examiner, a wage claim appeal tribunal, or the commission determines an employee acted in bad faith in bringing a wage claim, the examiner, tribunal, or commission may assess an administrative penalty against the employee.
(c) An administrative penalty assessed under this section may not exceed the lesser of:
(1) the amount of the wages in question or claimed; or
(2) $1,000.
(d) In determining the amount of an administrative penalty assessed under this section, the commission examiner, a wage claim appeal tribunal, or the commission shall consider:
(1) the seriousness of the violation;
(2) the history of previous violations;
(3) the amount necessary to deter a future violation; and
(4) any other appropriate matter, including mitigating circumstances.
(b) If the commission examiner, a wage claim appeal tribunal, or the commission determines an employee acted in bad faith in bringing a wage claim, the examiner, tribunal, or commission may assess an administrative penalty against the employee.
(c) An administrative penalty assessed under this section may not exceed the lesser of:
(1) the amount of the wages in question or claimed; or
(2) $1,000.
(d) In determining the amount of an administrative penalty assessed under this section, the commission examiner, a wage claim appeal tribunal, or the commission shall consider:
(1) the seriousness of the violation;
(2) the history of previous violations;
(3) the amount necessary to deter a future violation; and
(4) any other appropriate matter, including mitigating circumstances.
Status: in_force · Read it on the official government site
Need a lawyer in Texas?
Find a Texas lawyer
About this page: Statute text is reproduced from official government publishers via the
Open US Law dataset
(Vaquill AI, snapshot v2026.08, CC BY 4.0). Primary legislative text like this is public domain under the government-edicts doctrine
(Georgia v. Public.Resource.Org, 2020). We link every section back to its official source so you can verify it independently.