86R12133 MTB-D
By: Zwiener H.B. No. 2558
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to prohibited retaliation against state employees for
referring to climate change or global warming.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Chapter 651, Government Code, is amended by
adding Section 651.011 to read as follows:
Sec. 651.011. RETALIATION PROHIBITED FOR CLIMATE CHANGE OR
GLOBAL WARMING REFERENCES. (a) In this section:
(1) "Personnel action" means an action that affects an
employee's compensation, promotion, demotion, transfer, work
assignment, or performance evaluation.
(2) "State agency" means:
(A) a board, commission, department, office, or
other agency in the executive branch of state government, created
under the constitution or a statute of the state, including an
institution of higher education, as defined by Section 61.003,
Education Code;
(B) the legislature or a legislative agency; or
(C) the Texas Supreme Court, the Texas Court of
Criminal Appeals, a court of appeals, a state judicial agency, or
the State Bar of Texas.
(b) A state agency may not suspend or terminate the
employment of, or take other adverse personnel action against, an
employee of the agency who in the course of employment refers to
climate change, global warming, or the effects of those phenomena.
SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
Act takes effect September 1, 2019.