By: Allen H.B. No. 3263
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to the protection of an employee of an open-enrollment
charter school who reports a violation of law.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Section 554.001, Government Code, is amended to
read as follows:
Sec. 554.001. DEFINITIONS. In this chapter:
(1) "Law" means:
(A) a state or federal statute;
(B) an ordinance of a local governmental entity;
or
(C) a rule adopted under a statute or ordinance.
(2) "Local governmental entity" means a political
subdivision of the state, including [a]:
(A) a county;
(B) a municipality;
(C) a public school district; [or]
(D) a special-purpose district or authority; or
(E) an open-enrollment charter school.
(3) "Personnel action" means an action that affects a
public employee's compensation, promotion, demotion, transfer,
work assignment, or performance evaluation.
(4) "Public employee" means an employee or appointed
officer other than an independent contractor who is paid to perform
services for a state or local governmental entity.
(5) "State governmental entity" 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.
SECTION 2. The changes in law made by this Act apply to a
suspension or termination of employment of a public employee or to
other adverse personnel action taken against an employee on or
after the effective date of this Act. A suspension or termination
of employment of a public employee or other adverse personnel
action against the employee that is take before the effective date
of this Act is governed by the law existing on the date the
suspension, termination, or other adverse personnel action
occurred, and the former law is continued in effect for that
purpose.
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2019.