| 1 | 1 | | 89R15311 SCF-D |
|---|
| 2 | 2 | | By: Olcott H.B. No. 4884 |
|---|
| 3 | 3 | | |
|---|
| 4 | 4 | | |
|---|
| 5 | 5 | | |
|---|
| 6 | 6 | | |
|---|
| 7 | 7 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
|---|
| 8 | 8 | | AN ACT |
|---|
| 9 | 9 | | relating to the operation of a fraud, waste, and abuse hotline and a |
|---|
| 10 | 10 | | duty to provide employees and the public with certain hotline |
|---|
| 11 | 11 | | information. |
|---|
| 12 | 12 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
|---|
| 13 | 13 | | SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 38, Education Code, is |
|---|
| 14 | 14 | | amended by adding Section 38.0043 to read as follows: |
|---|
| 15 | 15 | | Sec. 38.0043. POSTING FRAUD, WASTE, AND ABUSE HOTLINE |
|---|
| 16 | 16 | | INFORMATION. Each public school and open-enrollment charter school |
|---|
| 17 | 17 | | shall prominently post the telephone number for the fraud, waste, |
|---|
| 18 | 18 | | and abuse hotline established under Section 321.024, Government |
|---|
| 19 | 19 | | Code, and information relating to reporting suspected fraud, waste, |
|---|
| 20 | 20 | | and abuse to the hotline: |
|---|
| 21 | 21 | | (1) on the school's Internet website; and |
|---|
| 22 | 22 | | (2) in each physical administrative office maintained |
|---|
| 23 | 23 | | by the school. |
|---|
| 24 | 24 | | SECTION 2. Chapter 321, Government Code, is amended by |
|---|
| 25 | 25 | | adding Section 321.024 to read as follows: |
|---|
| 26 | 26 | | Sec. 321.024. FRAUD, WASTE, AND ABUSE HOTLINE; REPORT. (a) |
|---|
| 27 | 27 | | The State Auditor shall operate a telephone hotline for submission |
|---|
| 28 | 28 | | of reports of suspected fraud, waste, and abuse. |
|---|
| 29 | 29 | | (b) The State Auditor shall refer each submitted report of |
|---|
| 30 | 30 | | suspected fraud, waste, or abuse to the appropriate state agency. |
|---|
| 31 | 31 | | On receipt of the report, the state agency shall investigate the |
|---|
| 32 | 32 | | suspected fraud, waste, or abuse and on completion of the |
|---|
| 33 | 33 | | investigation disclose the results of the investigation to the |
|---|
| 34 | 34 | | State Auditor. |
|---|
| 35 | 35 | | (c) Not later than September 1 of each odd-numbered year, |
|---|
| 36 | 36 | | the State Auditor shall prepare and submit to the legislature and |
|---|
| 37 | 37 | | each standing committee having jurisdiction over state agency |
|---|
| 38 | 38 | | fraud, waste, and abuse a report summarizing: |
|---|
| 39 | 39 | | (1) any reports of suspected fraud, waste, or abuse |
|---|
| 40 | 40 | | submitted to the hotline; |
|---|
| 41 | 41 | | (2) each state agency to which the State Auditor |
|---|
| 42 | 42 | | referred for investigation a report of suspected fraud, waste, or |
|---|
| 43 | 43 | | abuse; and |
|---|
| 44 | 44 | | (3) the results of any investigation conducted by a |
|---|
| 45 | 45 | | state agency after referral of a report of suspected fraud, waste, |
|---|
| 46 | 46 | | or abuse. |
|---|
| 47 | 47 | | SECTION 3. Subtitle B, Title 6, Government Code, is amended |
|---|
| 48 | 48 | | by adding Chapter 674 to read as follows: |
|---|
| 49 | 49 | | CHAPTER 674. INFORMATION RELATING TO FRAUD, WASTE, AND ABUSE |
|---|
| 50 | 50 | | HOTLINE |
|---|
| 51 | 51 | | Sec. 674.001. DEFINITION. In this chapter, "state agency" |
|---|
| 52 | 52 | | has the meaning assigned by Section 2054.003. |
|---|
| 53 | 53 | | Sec. 674.002. REQUIRED INFORMATION ON FRAUD, WASTE, AND |
|---|
| 54 | 54 | | ABUSE HOTLINE. A state agency shall provide to each new employee |
|---|
| 55 | 55 | | the telephone number for the fraud, waste, and abuse hotline |
|---|
| 56 | 56 | | established under Section 321.024 and information on the procedure |
|---|
| 57 | 57 | | for submitting a report of suspected fraud, waste, or abuse to the |
|---|
| 58 | 58 | | hotline. |
|---|
| 59 | 59 | | SECTION 4. Subchapter F, Chapter 2054, Government Code, is |
|---|
| 60 | 60 | | amended by adding Section 2054.139 to read as follows: |
|---|
| 61 | 61 | | Sec. 2054.139. REQUIRED POSTING OF FRAUD, WASTE, AND ABUSE |
|---|
| 62 | 62 | | HOTLINE INFORMATION. Each state agency and local government shall |
|---|
| 63 | 63 | | prominently post the telephone number for the fraud, waste, and |
|---|
| 64 | 64 | | abuse hotline established under Section 321.024 and information on |
|---|
| 65 | 65 | | the procedure for submitting a report of suspected fraud, waste, or |
|---|
| 66 | 66 | | abuse to the hotline: |
|---|
| 67 | 67 | | (1) on the agency's or local government's Internet |
|---|
| 68 | 68 | | website; and |
|---|
| 69 | 69 | | (2) in each physical administrative office maintained |
|---|
| 70 | 70 | | by the agency or local government. |
|---|
| 71 | 71 | | SECTION 5. Chapter 180, Local Government Code, is amended |
|---|
| 72 | 72 | | by adding Section 180.011 to read as follows: |
|---|
| 73 | 73 | | Sec. 180.011. REQUIRED INFORMATION ON FRAUD, WASTE, AND |
|---|
| 74 | 74 | | ABUSE HOTLINE. (a) In this section, "political subdivision" has |
|---|
| 75 | 75 | | the meaning assigned by Section 180.008. |
|---|
| 76 | 76 | | (b) A political subdivision shall provide to each new |
|---|
| 77 | 77 | | employee the telephone number for the fraud, waste, and abuse |
|---|
| 78 | 78 | | hotline established under Section 321.024, Government Code, and |
|---|
| 79 | 79 | | information on the procedure for submitting a report of suspected |
|---|
| 80 | 80 | | fraud, waste, or abuse to the hotline. |
|---|
| 81 | 81 | | SECTION 6. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |
|---|