Texas Expands Whistleblower Protections for Public Employees Reporting Elected Officials

Original title: Relating to the reporting of violations of law under the whistleblower protection laws.

Last action · April 30, 2025: Received from the HouseSponsors: Chris Turner and 4 others

Bill progressHistory & official text ↓

Introduced

Committee

Floor Vote

Passed

Law

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What This Bill Proposed

Texas prohibits state and local governmental entities from taking adverse employment action against a public employee who reports a violation of law by an elected officer of their employing entity to an .

Why it matters

Public employees gain legal protection from termination or suspension when reporting unlawful conduct by elected officials, expanding existing whistleblower rules that previously covered only the governmental entity or fellow employees.

Who It Would Have Affected

Groups the bill's text would have affected, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.

Directly affected

public employees

Public employees gain legal protection from termination, suspension, or adverse personnel actions when reporting law violations by elected officers.

Directly affected

state and local governmental entities

Governmental entities are prohibited from taking adverse personnel actions against employees who report law violations by elected officers.

Key Facts

State and local governmental entities are prohibited from suspending, terminating, or taking adverse personnel action against public employees who report a violation of law by an elected officer of the employing entity.
Reports must be made in good faith to an appropriate law enforcement authority to qualify for protection.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is protected under this expanded whistleblower law?

Public employees of state and local governmental entities who report violations of law by elected officers of their employing entity in good faith.

Where must a whistleblower report the violation to receive protection?

To an .

What actions are prohibited against protected employees?

Suspension, termination, or any other .

What else do you want to know?

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Where This Stands

This bill did not become law - Died at adjournment · passed the House · in the Senate.

Procedural history

24 actions

Apr 30, 2025Senate
Received from the House
Apr 30, 2025House
Reported engrossed
Apr 30, 2025House
Statement(s) of vote recorded in Journal
Apr 30, 2025HouseFloor
Record vote (RV#1006)
Apr 30, 2025HouseFloor
Passed
Apr 30, 2025HouseFloor
Read 3rd time

Show 18 earlier actions

Apr 29, 2025House
Statement(s) of vote recorded in Journal
Apr 29, 2025HouseFloor
Record vote (RV#859)
Apr 29, 2025HouseFloor
Passed to engrossment
Apr 29, 2025HouseFloor
Read 2nd time
Apr 29, 2025House
Placed on General State Calendar
Apr 24, 2025House
Considered in Calendars
Apr 23, 2025House
Committee report sent to Calendars
Apr 22, 2025House
Committee report distributed
Apr 22, 2025House
Comte report filed with Committee Coordinator
Apr 16, 2025HouseCommittee
Reported favorably w/o amendment(s)
Apr 16, 2025House
Considered in formal meeting
Apr 14, 2025House
Left pending in committee
Apr 14, 2025House
Testimony taken/registration(s) recorded in committee
Apr 14, 2025House
Considered in public hearing
Apr 14, 2025House
Scheduled for public hearing on . . .
Mar 10, 2025HouseCommittee
Referred to State Affairs
Mar 10, 2025HouseIntroduced
Read first time
Nov 12, 2024HouseIntroduced
Filed

Version history

Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.

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