By: Price (Senate Sponsor - Hughes) H.B. No. 2463 (In the Senate - Received from the House May 8, 2017; May 9, 2017, read first time and referred to Committee on Business & Commerce; May 17, 2017, reported favorably by the following vote: Yeas 8, Nays 0; May 17, 2017, sent to printer.) Click here to see the committee vote A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT relating to requiring state agencies to develop written succession plans. BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: SECTION 1. Chapter 321, Government Code, is amended by adding Section 321.024 to read as follows: Sec. 321.024. STATE AGENCY'S SUCCESSION PLAN. (a) In this section, "state agency" has the meaning assigned by Section 651.011. (b) The State Auditor shall include in the State Auditor's annual report on classified employee turnover: (1) a list of each state agency that has submitted a written succession plan under Section 651.011 to the State Auditor and each state agency that has failed to submit a written succession plan under that section; and (2) a thorough and comprehensive summary of the types and extent of succession planning completed by state agencies. SECTION 2. Chapter 651, Government Code, is amended by adding Section 651.011 to read as follows: Sec. 651.011. SUCCESSION PLAN. (a) In this section, "state agency" means a department, board, commission, or other agency in the executive branch of state government. The term does not include an institution of higher education, as defined by Section 61.003, Education Code. (b) A state agency shall develop a written succession plan: (1) identifying and developing mechanisms to ensure the transfer of institutional knowledge from experienced and retiring employees who are not appointed by the governor or the governing body of the state agency to succeeding employees; and (2) identifying the skills and abilities necessary for the development of the succeeding employees. (c) At least annually, the state agency shall update the written succession plan developed under Subsection (b). The updated written succession plan must include a report on the implementation of the mechanisms, skills, and abilities identified and developed in the previous written succession plan. (d) A state agency shall include in the state agency's legislative appropriations request a provision stating whether the state agency has developed a written succession plan as required by Subsection (b). (e) Not later than September 1 of each year, a state agency shall submit the written succession plan required under Subsection (b) to the state auditor and post the written succession plan on the state agency's Internet website. SECTION 3. Not later than September 1, 2018, a state agency under Section 651.011, Government Code, as added by this Act, shall submit the agency's initial succession plan as required by that section. SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2017. * * * * *