| |
| |
|
|
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
|
|
|
AN ACT
|
|
|
relating to the operation of a fraud, waste, and abuse hotline and a |
|
|
duty to provide employees and the public with certain hotline |
|
|
information. |
|
|
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
|
|
SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 38, Education Code, is |
|
|
amended by adding Section 38.0043 to read as follows: |
|
|
Sec. 38.0043. POSTING FRAUD, WASTE, AND ABUSE HOTLINE |
|
|
INFORMATION. Each public school and open-enrollment charter school |
|
|
shall prominently post the telephone number for the fraud, waste, |
|
|
and abuse hotline established under Section 321.024, Government |
|
|
Code, and information relating to reporting suspected fraud, waste, |
|
|
and abuse to the hotline: |
|
|
(1) on the school's Internet website; and |
|
|
(2) in each physical administrative office maintained |
|
|
by the school. |
|
|
SECTION 2. Chapter 321, Government Code, is amended by |
|
|
adding Section 321.024 to read as follows: |
|
|
Sec. 321.024. FRAUD, WASTE, AND ABUSE HOTLINE; REPORT. (a) |
|
|
The State Auditor shall operate a telephone hotline for submission |
|
|
of reports of suspected fraud, waste, and abuse. |
|
|
(b) The State Auditor shall refer each submitted report of |
|
|
suspected fraud, waste, or abuse to the appropriate state agency. |
|
|
On receipt of the report, the state agency shall investigate the |
|
|
suspected fraud, waste, or abuse and on completion of the |
|
|
investigation disclose the results of the investigation to the |
|
|
State Auditor. |
|
|
(c) Not later than September 1 of each odd-numbered year, |
|
|
the State Auditor shall prepare and submit to the legislature and |
|
|
each standing committee having jurisdiction over state agency |
|
|
fraud, waste, and abuse a report summarizing: |
|
|
(1) any reports of suspected fraud, waste, or abuse |
|
|
submitted to the hotline; |
|
|
(2) each state agency to which the State Auditor |
|
|
referred for investigation a report of suspected fraud, waste, or |
|
|
abuse; and |
|
|
(3) the results of any investigation conducted by a |
|
|
state agency after referral of a report of suspected fraud, waste, |
|
|
or abuse. |
|
|
SECTION 3. Subtitle B, Title 6, Government Code, is amended |
|
|
by adding Chapter 674 to read as follows: |
|
|
CHAPTER 674. INFORMATION RELATING TO FRAUD, WASTE, AND ABUSE |
|
|
HOTLINE |
|
|
Sec. 674.001. DEFINITION. In this chapter, "state agency" |
|
|
has the meaning assigned by Section 2054.003. |
|
|
Sec. 674.002. REQUIRED INFORMATION ON FRAUD, WASTE, AND |
|
|
ABUSE HOTLINE. A state agency shall provide to each new employee |
|
|
the telephone number for the fraud, waste, and abuse hotline |
|
|
established under Section 321.024 and information on the procedure |
|
|
for submitting a report of suspected fraud, waste, or abuse to the |
|
|
hotline. |
|
|
SECTION 4. Subchapter F, Chapter 2054, Government Code, is |
|
|
amended by adding Section 2054.139 to read as follows: |
|
|
Sec. 2054.139. REQUIRED POSTING OF FRAUD, WASTE, AND ABUSE |
|
|
HOTLINE INFORMATION. Each state agency and local government shall |
|
|
prominently post the telephone number for the fraud, waste, and |
|
|
abuse hotline established under Section 321.024 and information on |
|
|
the procedure for submitting a report of suspected fraud, waste, or |
|
|
abuse to the hotline: |
|
|
(1) on the agency's or local government's Internet |
|
|
website; and |
|
|
(2) in each physical administrative office maintained |
|
|
by the agency or local government. |
|
|
SECTION 5. Chapter 180, Local Government Code, is amended |
|
|
by adding Section 180.011 to read as follows: |
|
|
Sec. 180.011. REQUIRED INFORMATION ON FRAUD, WASTE, AND |
|
|
ABUSE HOTLINE. (a) In this section, "political subdivision" has |
|
|
the meaning assigned by Section 180.008. |
|
|
(b) A political subdivision shall provide to each new |
|
|
employee the telephone number for the fraud, waste, and abuse |
|
|
hotline established under Section 321.024, Government Code, and |
|
|
information on the procedure for submitting a report of suspected |
|
|
fraud, waste, or abuse to the hotline. |
|
|
SECTION 6. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |