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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to prohibiting the use of state appropriations or public |
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money of a political subdivision to settle or pay a sexual |
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harassment claim made against certain public officers and |
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employees. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Subtitle B, Title 5, Government Code, is amended |
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by adding Chapter 576 to read as follows: |
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CHAPTER 576. PROHIBITION ON APPROPRIATION OF MONEY TO SETTLE OR PAY |
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SEXUAL HARASSMENT CLAIMS |
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Sec. 576.0001. PROHIBITION ON APPROPRIATION OF MONEY TO |
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SETTLE OR PAY SEXUAL HARASSMENT CLAIMS. The legislature may not |
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appropriate money and a state agency may not use appropriated money |
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to settle or otherwise pay a sexual harassment claim made against a |
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person who: |
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(1) is an elected member of the executive, |
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legislative, or judicial branch of state government; |
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(2) is appointed by the governor to serve as a member |
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of a department, commission, board, or other public office within |
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the executive, legislative, or judicial branch of state government; |
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or |
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(3) serves as staff for a person described by |
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Subdivision (1) or (2). |
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SECTION 2. Chapter 180, Local Government Code, is amended |
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by adding Section 180.008 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 180.008. PROHIBITION ON USE OF PUBLIC MONEY TO SETTLE |
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OR PAY SEXUAL HARASSMENT CLAIMS. (a) In this section, "political |
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subdivision" means a county, municipality, school district, other |
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special district, or other subdivision of state government. |
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(b) A political subdivision may not use public money to |
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settle or otherwise pay a sexual harassment claim made against a |
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person who is: |
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(1) an elected or appointed member of the governing |
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body of the political subdivision; or |
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(2) an officer or employee of the political |
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subdivision. |
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SECTION 3. Section 12.1058(a), Education Code, is amended |
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to read as follows: |
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(a) An open-enrollment charter school is considered to be: |
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(1) a local government for purposes of Chapter 791, |
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Government Code; |
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(2) a local government for purposes of Chapter 2259, |
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Government Code, except that an open-enrollment charter school may |
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not issue public securities as provided by Section 2259.031(b), |
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Government Code; |
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(3) a political subdivision for purposes of Chapter |
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172, Local Government Code; [and] |
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(4) a local governmental entity for purposes of |
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Subchapter I, Chapter 271, Local Government Code; and |
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(5) a political subdivision for purposes of Section |
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180.008, Local Government Code. |
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SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2021. |