Bill Text: TX HB262 | 2017 | 85th Legislature 1st Special Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to prohibited adverse personnel action against a school district employee who in good faith reports child abuse or neglect.
Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2017-07-21 - Referred to Juvenile Justice & Family Issues [HB262 Detail]
Download: Texas-2017-HB262-Introduced.html
By: Neave | H.B. No. 262 |
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relating to prohibited adverse personnel action against a school | ||
district employee who in good faith reports child abuse or neglect. | ||
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
SECTION 1. Section 261.110, Family Code, is amended by | ||
amending Subsections (a) and (c) and adding Subsections (b-1) and | ||
(c-1) to read as follows: | ||
(a) In this section: | ||
(1) "Adverse personnel action" means an action that | ||
affects an employee's compensation, promotion, transfer, work | ||
assignment, or performance evaluation, or any other action that | ||
would dissuade a reasonable employee from making or supporting a | ||
report of abuse or neglect under Section 261.101. | ||
(2) "Professional"[ |
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assigned by Section 261.101(b). | ||
(b-1) A school district may not suspend or terminate the | ||
employment of, discriminate against, or take any other adverse | ||
personnel action against a district employee who in good faith: | ||
(1) reports child abuse or neglect to: | ||
(A) the employee's supervisor; | ||
(B) an administrator of the facility where the | ||
employee is employed; | ||
(C) a state regulatory agency; or | ||
(D) a law enforcement agency; or | ||
(2) initiates or cooperates with an investigation or | ||
proceeding by a governmental entity relating to an allegation of | ||
child abuse or neglect. | ||
(c) A person, including a school district employee, whose | ||
employment is suspended or terminated, [ |
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discriminated against, or who suffers any other adverse employment | ||
action in violation of this section may sue for injunctive relief, | ||
damages, or both if, in violation of this section, the employee: | ||
(1) is suspended or terminated from employment; | ||
(2) i | ||
s discriminated against; or | ||
(3) suffers any other adverse personnel action. | ||
SECTION 2. This Act applies only to an adverse personnel | ||
action taken by an employer against an employee that occurs on or | ||
after the effective date of this Act. An adverse personnel action | ||
taken by an employer against an employee that occurs before that | ||
date is governed by the law in effect on the date the action | ||
occurred, and the former law is continued in effect for that | ||
purpose. | ||
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect December 1, 2017. |