| 1 | 1 | | 89R1412 SCP-F |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Cook S.B. No. 2890 |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | |
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| 6 | 6 | | |
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| 7 | 7 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 8 | 8 | | AN ACT |
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| 9 | 9 | | relating to the establishment of state agency grievance procedures |
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| 10 | 10 | | for state agency employees. |
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| 11 | 11 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 12 | 12 | | SECTION 1. Subtitle B, Title 6, Government Code, is amended |
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| 13 | 13 | | by adding Chapter 674 to read as follows: |
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| 14 | 14 | | CHAPTER 674. EMPLOYEE GRIEVANCE PROCEDURES |
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| 15 | 15 | | Sec. 674.001. DEFINITIONS. In this chapter: |
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| 16 | 16 | | (1) "Agency employee" means an individual, other than |
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| 17 | 17 | | a state officer, who is employed by a state agency. |
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| 18 | 18 | | (2) "State agency" means: |
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| 19 | 19 | | (A) a department, commission, board, office, or |
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| 20 | 20 | | other agency in the executive branch of state government that was |
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| 21 | 21 | | created by the Texas Constitution or a statute of this state, |
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| 22 | 22 | | including a university system or an institution of higher education |
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| 23 | 23 | | as those terms are defined by Section 61.003, Education Code, other |
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| 24 | 24 | | than a public junior college as defined by Section 61.003, |
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| 25 | 25 | | Education Code; |
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| 26 | 26 | | (B) the legislature or a legislative agency; or |
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| 27 | 27 | | (C) the supreme court, the court of criminal |
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| 28 | 28 | | appeals, a court of appeals, the state bar, or another state |
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| 29 | 29 | | judicial agency. |
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| 30 | 30 | | Sec. 674.002. AGENCY EMPLOYEE GRIEVANCE PROCEDURE. (a) |
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| 31 | 31 | | The executive head of each state agency by rule shall establish a |
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| 32 | 32 | | grievance procedure for agency employees. The procedure must allow |
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| 33 | 33 | | an agency employee to appeal an employment action taken by the |
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| 34 | 34 | | agency regarding: |
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| 35 | 35 | | (1) a disciplinary action imposed on the employee, |
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| 36 | 36 | | including: |
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| 37 | 37 | | (A) an oral or written reprimand; |
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| 38 | 38 | | (B) a demotion; |
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| 39 | 39 | | (C) a suspension; |
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| 40 | 40 | | (D) a reduction in compensation; and |
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| 41 | 41 | | (E) a termination for cause and at will; or |
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| 42 | 42 | | (2) the employee's compensation or working conditions, |
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| 43 | 43 | | including the hours the employee is required to work. |
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| 44 | 44 | | (b) An appeal made under this section is considered to be a |
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| 45 | 45 | | contested case under Chapter 2001. |
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| 46 | 46 | | SECTION 2. Not later than January 1, 2026, the executive |
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| 47 | 47 | | head of each state agency shall adopt rules necessary to implement |
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| 48 | 48 | | Chapter 674, Government Code, as added by this Act. |
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| 49 | 49 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |
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