By: Duncan S.B. No. 799 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-1 AN ACT 1-2 relating to requiring state agencies to perform exit interviews 1-3 with employees. 1-4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-5 SECTION 1. Chapter 651, Government Code, is amended by 1-6 adding Section 651.007 to read as follows: 1-7 Sec. 651.007. EXIT INTERVIEWS. (a) In this section, "state 1-8 agency" means a board, commission, council, committee, department, 1-9 office, agency, or other governmental entity in the executive, 1-10 legislative, or judicial branch of state government. The term does 1-11 not include an institution of higher education as defined by 1-12 Section 61.003, Education Code. 1-13 (b) Each state agency shall conduct an exit interview with 1-14 an employee who leaves employment with the agency. The state 1-15 agency shall conduct the exit interview by having the employee 1-16 access the questionnaire posted on the state auditor's Internet 1-17 site and electronically submit the completed questionnaire to the 1-18 state auditor. 1-19 (c) The state agency shall conduct the exit interview in a 1-20 manner that allows the employee alone to describe the employee's 1-21 reason for leaving employment. The state agency may not alter the 1-22 description stated by the employee. 1-23 (d) The state auditor shall develop the exit interview 1-24 questionnaire. In developing the questionnaire under this 1-25 subsection, the state auditor shall consult with the comptroller 2-1 and representatives designated by the comptroller from small, 2-2 medium, and large state agencies. 2-3 (e) Not later than the 15th day following the end of the 2-4 calendar quarter, the state auditor shall submit a report to each 2-5 state agency containing the responses to the exit interview 2-6 questionnaire submitted by each former employee of the agency 2-7 during the preceding quarter. The state auditor's report may not 2-8 contain the name of an employee or any other information 2-9 identifying the employee. 2-10 (f) A state agency may not share the responses to an exit 2-11 interview questionnaire with another state agency. 2-12 (g) The responses to an exit interview questionnaire are 2-13 confidential and not subject to disclosure under Chapter 552. The 2-14 responses may be disclosed only to a law enforcement agency in a 2-15 criminal investigation or on order of a court. 2-16 (h) The state auditor may audit each state agency's records 2-17 to determine whether the agency is complying with the requirements 2-18 of this section. 2-19 (i) Not later than December 15 of each year before a regular 2-20 session of the legislature, the state auditor shall submit a report 2-21 summarizing the findings of the exit interviews to the governor, 2-22 lieutenant governor, speaker of the house of representatives, and 2-23 members of the Senate Committee on Finance and House Committee on 2-24 Appropriations. 2-25 SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2001.