Bill Text: TX HB1804 | 2021-2022 | 87th Legislature | Engrossed
Bill Title: Relating to prohibiting the use of state appropriations or public money of a political subdivision to settle or pay a sexual harassment claim made against certain public officers and employees.
Spectrum: Moderate Partisan Bill (Republican 13-2)
Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2021-05-03 - Received from the House [HB1804 Detail]
Download: Texas-2021-HB1804-Engrossed.html
| By: Meyer, Metcalf, Minjarez, et al. | H.B. No. 1804 | |
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| relating to prohibiting the use of state appropriations or public | ||
| money of a political subdivision to settle or pay a sexual | ||
| harassment claim made against certain public officers and | ||
| employees. | ||
| BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
| SECTION 1. Subtitle B, Title 5, Government Code, is amended | ||
| by adding Chapter 576 to read as follows: | ||
| CHAPTER 576. PROHIBITION ON APPROPRIATION OF MONEY TO SETTLE OR PAY | ||
| SEXUAL HARASSMENT CLAIMS | ||
| Sec. 576.0001. PROHIBITION ON APPROPRIATION OF MONEY TO | ||
| SETTLE OR PAY SEXUAL HARASSMENT CLAIMS. The legislature may not | ||
| appropriate money and a state agency may not use appropriated money | ||
| to settle or otherwise pay a sexual harassment claim made against a | ||
| person who: | ||
| (1) is an elected member of the executive, | ||
| legislative, or judicial branch of state government; | ||
| (2) is appointed by the governor to serve as a member | ||
| of a department, commission, board, or other public office within | ||
| the executive, legislative, or judicial branch of state government; | ||
| or | ||
| (3) serves as staff for a person described by | ||
| Subdivision (1) or (2). | ||
| SECTION 2. Chapter 180, Local Government Code, is amended | ||
| by adding Section 180.008 to read as follows: | ||
| Sec. 180.008. PROHIBITION ON USE OF PUBLIC MONEY TO SETTLE | ||
| OR PAY SEXUAL HARASSMENT CLAIMS. (a) In this section, "political | ||
| subdivision" means a county, municipality, school district, other | ||
| special district, or other subdivision of state government. | ||
| (b) A political subdivision may not use public money to | ||
| settle or otherwise pay a sexual harassment claim made against a | ||
| person who is: | ||
| (1) an elected or appointed member of the governing | ||
| body of the political subdivision; or | ||
| (2) an officer or employee of the political | ||
| subdivision. | ||
| SECTION 3. Section 12.1058(a), Education Code, is amended | ||
| to read as follows: | ||
| (a) An open-enrollment charter school is considered to be: | ||
| (1) a local government for purposes of Chapter 791, | ||
| Government Code; | ||
| (2) a local government for purposes of Chapter 2259, | ||
| Government Code, except that an open-enrollment charter school may | ||
| not issue public securities as provided by Section 2259.031(b), | ||
| Government Code; | ||
| (3) a political subdivision for purposes of Chapter | ||
| 172, Local Government Code; [ |
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| (4) a local governmental entity for purposes of | ||
| Subchapter I, Chapter 271, Local Government Code; and | ||
| (5) a political subdivision for purposes of Section | ||
| 180.008, Local Government Code. | ||
| SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2021. | ||
