Bill Text: TX SB121 | 2013-2014 | 83rd Legislature | Engrossed
Bill Title: Relating to prohibited retaliation against certain state or local public employees for reporting to certain persons violations of law.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)
Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2013-05-20 - Comm. report sent to Local & Consent Calendar [SB121 Detail]
Download: Texas-2013-SB121-Engrossed.html
| By: Rodriguez | S.B. No. 121 | |
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| relating to prohibited retaliation against certain state or local | ||
| public employees for reporting to certain persons violations of | ||
| law. | ||
| BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
| SECTION 1. Section 554.002, Government Code, is amended by | ||
| adding Subsections (a-1) and (a-2) to read as follows: | ||
| (a-1) In addition to the prohibitions under Subsection (a), | ||
| a school district, including a home-rule school district, or a | ||
| public school, including any school for which a charter has been | ||
| granted under Chapter 12, Education Code, located in a county with a | ||
| population of 800,000 or more that borders the United Mexican | ||
| States may not suspend or terminate the employment of, or take other | ||
| adverse personnel action against, a district or school employee who | ||
| in good faith reports in writing a violation of law by the district | ||
| or school or another district or school employee to: | ||
| (1) a person to whom the employee is required by law or | ||
| policy to report allegations of misconduct by other district or | ||
| school employees; or | ||
| (2) the human resources director of the reporting | ||
| employee's campus or district or the human resource director's | ||
| designee. | ||
| (a-2) Subsection (a-1) does not prohibit a school district | ||
| or a public school to which that subsection applies from suspending | ||
| or terminating the employment of, or taking other adverse personnel | ||
| action against, a district or school employee who makes a good faith | ||
| report under Subsection (a-1) for a reason other than one directly | ||
| or indirectly related to the report. | ||
| SECTION 2. Subsection (b), Section 554.009, Government | ||
| Code, is amended to read as follows: | ||
| (b) The attorney general shall prescribe the design and | ||
| content of the sign required by this section. The sign must be | ||
| written in English and Spanish and include: | ||
| (1) the description of an appropriate law enforcement | ||
| authority under Section 554.002(b); and | ||
| (2) a statement summarizing a public employee's right | ||
| to sue under this chapter. | ||
| SECTION 3. Section 554.002, Government Code, as amended by | ||
| this Act, applies only to a personnel action taken on or after the | ||
| effective date of this Act against an employee who reports a | ||
| violation of law, regardless of the date on which the alleged | ||
| violation of law occurred or was reported. | ||
| SECTION 4. (a) The attorney general shall design the sign | ||
| required by Section 554.009, Government Code, as amended by this | ||
| Act, not later than October 1, 2013. | ||
| (b) Each state or local governmental entity shall post the | ||
| sign required by Section 554.009, Government Code, as amended by | ||
| this Act, not later than November 1, 2013. | ||
| SECTION 5. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives | ||
| a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as | ||
| provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this | ||
| Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this | ||
| Act takes effect September 1, 2013. | ||
