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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to prohibited retaliation against state employees for |
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referring to climate change or global warming. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Chapter 651, Government Code, is amended by |
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adding Section 651.011 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 651.011. RETALIATION PROHIBITED FOR CLIMATE CHANGE OR |
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GLOBAL WARMING REFERENCES. (a) In this section: |
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(1) "Personnel action" means an action that affects an |
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employee's compensation, promotion, demotion, transfer, work |
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assignment, or performance evaluation. |
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(2) "State agency" means: |
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(A) a board, commission, department, office, or |
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other agency in the executive branch of state government, created |
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under the constitution or a statute of the state, including an |
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institution of higher education, as defined by Section 61.003, |
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Education Code; |
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(B) the legislature or a legislative agency; or |
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(C) the Texas Supreme Court, the Texas Court of |
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Criminal Appeals, a court of appeals, a state judicial agency, or |
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the State Bar of Texas. |
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(b) A state agency may not suspend or terminate the |
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employment of, or take other adverse personnel action against, an |
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employee of the agency who in the course of employment refers to |
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climate change, global warming, or the effects of those phenomena. |
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SECTION 2. 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, 2019. |