By: Craddick, Rose H.B. No. 915
        (Senate Sponsor - Parker)
         (In the Senate - Received from the House May 1, 2023;
  May 1, 2023, read first time and referred to Committee on Natural
  Resources & Economic Development; May 19, 2023, reported
  adversely, with favorable Committee Substitute by the following
  vote:  Yeas 8, Nays 0; May 19, 2023, sent to printer.)
Click here to see the committee vote
 
  COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR H.B. No. 915 By:  Hughes
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
 
  relating to the creation of a workplace violence hotline and a
  requirement that employers post notice regarding the hotline.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Title 3, Labor Code, is amended by adding Chapter
  104A to read as follows:
  CHAPTER 104A. NOTICE OF WORKPLACE VIOLENCE HOTLINE
         Sec. 104A.001.  DEFINITIONS. In this chapter:
               (1)  "Commission" means the Texas Workforce
  Commission.
               (2)  "Employee" means an individual who is employed by
  an employer for compensation.
               (3)  "Employer" means a person who employs one or more
  employees.
         Sec. 104A.002.  NOTICE OF WORKPLACE VIOLENCE HOTLINE. Each
  employer shall post a notice to employees of the workplace violence
  hotline established under Section 51.212, Occupations Code. The
  notice must be posted:
               (1)  in a conspicuous place in the employer's place of
  business;
               (2)  in sufficient locations to be convenient to all
  employees; and
               (3)  in English and Spanish, as appropriate.
         Sec. 104A.003.  RULES. The commission, in consultation with
  the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, by rule shall
  prescribe the form and content of the notice required by this
  section. The rules must require that the notice:
               (1)  contain the workplace violence hotline telephone
  number; and
               (2)  inform employees of the right to make a report to
  the hotline anonymously.
         SECTION 2.  Subchapter D, Chapter 51, Occupations Code, is
  amended by adding Section 51.212 to read as follows:
         Sec. 51.212.  WORKPLACE VIOLENCE HOTLINE. (a)  In this
  section, "workplace violence" means any act or threat of physical
  violence, harassment, intimidation, or other threatening
  disruptive behavior that occurs at the worksite.
         (b)  The department shall establish and maintain a toll-free
  telephone service for reports of workplace violence in this state.
         (c)  A report of workplace violence made to the hotline under
  this section shall be referred to the appropriate local or state law
  enforcement agency for investigation.
         (d)  The department shall make an audio recording of each
  call received by the hotline. The department shall retain the
  recording of the call for at least six months after the date the
  department received the call.
         (e)  A report made under this section may be made
  anonymously.
         SECTION 3.  Not later than February 1, 2024, the Texas
  Department of Licensing and Regulation shall establish the
  workplace violence hotline as required by Section 51.212,
  Occupations Code, as added by this Act.
         SECTION 4.  Not later than March 1, 2024, the Texas Workforce
  Commission shall adopt rules as required by Section 104A.003, Labor
  Code, as added by this Act.
         SECTION 5.  (a)  Notwithstanding any other provision of this
  Act, in a state fiscal year, a state agency to which this Act
  applies is not required to implement a provision found in another
  provision of this Act that is a mandatory provision imposing a duty
  on the agency to take an action unless money is specifically
  appropriated to the agency for that fiscal year to carry out that
  duty.  The agency may implement the provision in that fiscal year to
  the extent other funding is available to the agency to do so.
         (b)  If, as authorized by Subsection (a) of this section, a
  state agency to which this Act applies does not implement a
  mandatory provision in a state fiscal year, the agency, in its
  legislative appropriations request for the next state fiscal
  biennium, shall certify that fact to the Legislative Budget Board
  and include a written estimate of the cost of implementing the
  provision in each year of that next state fiscal biennium.
         (c)  This section expires and any duty suspended by
  Subsection (a) of this section becomes mandatory on September 1,
  2027.
         SECTION 6.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2023.
 
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