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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to prohibited retaliation against certain state or local |
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public employees for reporting to certain persons violations of |
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law. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 554.002, Government Code, is amended by |
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adding Subsections (a-1) and (a-2) to read as follows: |
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(a-1) In addition to the prohibitions under Subsection (a), |
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a school district, including a home-rule school district, or a |
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public school, including any school for which a charter has been |
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granted under Chapter 12, Education Code, located in a county with a |
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population of 800,000 or more that borders the United Mexican |
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States may not suspend or terminate the employment of, or take other |
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adverse personnel action against, a district or school employee who |
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in good faith reports in writing a violation of law by the district |
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or school or another district or school employee to: |
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(1) a person to whom the employee is required by law or |
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policy to report allegations of misconduct by other district or |
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school employees; or |
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(2) the human resources director of the reporting |
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employee's campus or district or the human resource director's |
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designee. |
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(a-2) Subsection (a-1) does not prohibit a school district |
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or a public school to which that subsection applies from suspending |
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or terminating the employment of, or taking other adverse personnel |
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action against, a district or school employee who makes a good faith |
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report under Subsection (a-1) for a reason other than one directly |
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or indirectly related to the report. |
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SECTION 2. Subsection (b), Section 554.009, Government |
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Code, is amended to read as follows: |
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(b) The attorney general shall prescribe the design and |
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content of the sign required by this section. The sign must be |
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written in English and Spanish and include: |
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(1) the description of an appropriate law enforcement |
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authority under Section 554.002(b); and |
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(2) a statement summarizing a public employee's right |
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to sue under this chapter. |
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SECTION 3. Section 554.002, Government Code, as amended by |
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this Act, applies only to a personnel action taken on or after the |
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effective date of this Act against an employee who reports a |
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violation of law, regardless of the date on which the alleged |
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violation of law occurred or was reported. |
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SECTION 4. (a) The attorney general shall design the sign |
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required by Section 554.009, Government Code, as amended by this |
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Act, not later than October 1, 2013. |
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(b) Each state or local governmental entity shall post the |
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sign required by Section 554.009, Government Code, as amended by |
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this Act, not later than November 1, 2013. |
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SECTION 5. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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Act takes effect September 1, 2013. |