| 10 | 11 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 11 | 12 | | SECTION 1. Subtitle B, Title 5, Government Code, is amended |
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| 12 | 13 | | by adding Chapter 576 to read as follows: |
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| 13 | 14 | | CHAPTER 576. PROHIBITION ON APPROPRIATION OF MONEY TO SETTLE OR PAY |
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| 14 | 15 | | SEXUAL HARASSMENT CLAIMS |
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| 15 | 16 | | Sec. 576.0001. PROHIBITION ON APPROPRIATION OF MONEY TO |
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| 16 | 17 | | SETTLE OR PAY SEXUAL HARASSMENT CLAIMS. The legislature may not |
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| 17 | 18 | | appropriate money and a state agency may not use appropriated money |
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| 18 | 19 | | to settle or otherwise pay a sexual harassment claim made against a |
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| 19 | 20 | | person who: |
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| 20 | 21 | | (1) is an elected member of the executive, |
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| 21 | 22 | | legislative, or judicial branch of state government; |
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| 22 | 23 | | (2) is appointed by the governor to serve as a member |
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| 23 | 24 | | of a department, commission, board, or other public office within |
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| 24 | 25 | | the executive, legislative, or judicial branch of state government; |
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| 25 | 26 | | or |
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| 26 | 27 | | (3) serves as staff for a person described by |
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| 27 | 28 | | Subdivision (1) or (2). |
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| 28 | | - | SECTION 2. Chapter 180, Local Government Code, is amended |
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| 29 | | - | by adding Section 180.008 to read as follows: |
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| 30 | | - | Sec. 180.008. PROHIBITION ON USE OF PUBLIC MONEY TO SETTLE |
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| 31 | | - | OR PAY SEXUAL HARASSMENT CLAIMS. (a) In this section, "political |
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| 32 | | - | subdivision" means a county, municipality, school district, other |
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| 33 | | - | special district, or other subdivision of state government. |
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| 34 | | - | (b) A political subdivision may not use public money to |
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| 35 | | - | settle or otherwise pay a sexual harassment claim made against a |
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| 36 | | - | person who is: |
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| 37 | | - | (1) an elected or appointed member of the governing |
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| 38 | | - | body of the political subdivision; or |
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| 39 | | - | (2) an officer or employee of the political |
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| 40 | | - | subdivision. |
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| 41 | | - | SECTION 3. Section 12.1058(a), Education Code, is amended |
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| 42 | | - | to read as follows: |
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| 43 | | - | (a) An open-enrollment charter school is considered to be: |
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| 44 | | - | (1) a local government for purposes of Chapter 791, |
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| 45 | | - | Government Code; |
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| 46 | | - | (2) a local government for purposes of Chapter 2259, |
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| 47 | | - | Government Code, except that an open-enrollment charter school may |
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| 48 | | - | not issue public securities as provided by Section 2259.031(b), |
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| 49 | | - | Government Code; |
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| 50 | | - | (3) a political subdivision for purposes of Chapter |
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| 51 | | - | 172, Local Government Code; [and] |
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| 52 | | - | (4) a local governmental entity for purposes of |
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| 53 | | - | Subchapter I, Chapter 271, Local Government Code; and |
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| 54 | | - | (5) a political subdivision for purposes of Section |
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| 55 | | - | 180.008, Local Government Code. |
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| 56 | | - | SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2021. |
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| 29 | + | SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2021. |
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