Texas 2021 - 87th Regular

Texas House Bill HB550 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	87R293 CJC-F
2	2	By: Israel H.B. No. 550
3	3
4	4
5	5	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
6	6	AN ACT
7	7	relating to prohibited retaliation against state or local public
8	8	employees for reporting certain violations of law.
9	9	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
10	10	SECTION 1. Section 554.002(a), Government Code, is amended
11	11	to read as follows:
12	12	(a) A state or local governmental entity may not suspend or
13	13	terminate the employment of, or take other adverse personnel action
14	14	against, a public employee who in good faith reports a violation of
15	15	law by the employing governmental entity or another public employee
16	16	to:
17	17	(1) the reporting employee's immediate supervisor, or
18	18	an individual who holds a position above the reporting employee's
19	19	immediate supervisor, at the employing governmental entity;
20	20	(2) an individual or office designated by the
21	21	employing governmental entity as the individual or office for
22	22	reporting such grievances;
23	23	(3) a member of the human resources staff of the
24	24	employing governmental entity; or
25	25	(4) an appropriate law enforcement authority.
26	26	SECTION 2. Section 554.009, Government Code, is amended to
27	27	read as follows:
28	28	Sec. 554.009. NOTICE TO EMPLOYEES. (a) A state or local
29	29	governmental entity shall inform its employees of their rights
30	30	under this chapter by:
31	31	(1) posting a sign in a prominent location in the
32	32	workplace; and
33	33	(2) providing its employees with a copy of the
34	34	anti-retaliation policy adopted by the entity under Section
35	35	554.0095.
36	36	(b) The attorney general shall:
37	37	(1) prescribe the design and content of the sign
38	38	required by Subsection (a)(1); and
39	39	(2) post in a prominent location on the attorney
40	40	general's Internet website:
41	41	(A) a summary of the rights of public employees
42	42	under this chapter; and
43	43	(B) a notice informing public employees of:
44	44	(i) the ability to obtain a copy of the
45	45	anti-retaliation policy adopted by their employing governmental
46	46	entity under Section 554.0095 from an individual described by
47	47	Section 554.002(a)(1), (2), or (3); and
48	48	(ii) the requirement that an employing
49	49	governmental entity provide a copy of the entity's anti-retaliation
50	50	policy to each public employee on the first day of the employee's
51	51	employment with the entity [this section].
52	52	SECTION 3. Chapter 554, Government Code, is amended by
53	53	adding Section 554.0095 to read as follows:
54	54	Sec. 554.0095. ANTI-RETALIATION POLICY. (a) A state or
55	55	local governmental entity shall:
56	56	(1) develop and adopt an anti-retaliation policy
57	57	consistent with this chapter that:
58	58	(A) informs its employees of their rights under
59	59	this chapter and the anti-retaliation policy; and
60	60	(B) lists the individuals to whom its employees
61	61	may report a violation of law under Section 554.002(a);
62	62	(2) provide a copy of the anti-retaliation policy
63	63	adopted under Subdivision (1) to each employee on the first day of
64	64	the employee's employment with the entity; and
65	65	(3) notify its employees of any change made to its
66	66	anti-retaliation policy by e-mail, memorandum, or any other manner
67	67	that ensures each employee will be informed of the change.
68	68	(b) If an employee of a state or local governmental entity
69	69	requests a copy of the entity's anti-retaliation policy from an
70	70	individual described by Section 554.002(a)(1), (2), or (3), the
71	71	individual shall provide the employee with a copy of the policy.
72	72	SECTION 4. Not later than December 1, 2021, a state or local
73	73	governmental entity, as defined by Section 554.001, Government
74	74	Code, shall develop and adopt an anti-retaliation policy as
75	75	required by Section 554.0095, Government Code, as added by this
76	76	Act.
77	77	SECTION 5. This Act takes effect September 1, 2021.