HB 1232: bill extending whistleblower protection to reports on elected officers

Caption

relating to the reporting of violations of law under the whistleblower protection laws.

Summary

Good-faith reports on your own elected officer are protected.

The bill expands the Texas Whistleblower Act so that a public employee is protected from firing, suspension or other punishment when they report in good faith a violation of law by an elected officer of their own government employer. Today the law covers reports about the employing entity or another public employee, and this adds elected officers to that list. Public workers who report their own bosses' elected officials to law enforcement gain the same job protection, starting immediately or on September 1, 2025.

Labels

Labels: ACROSS THE AISLE. Joint authors: 1 Republican, 1 Democrat. Party as the Legislative Reference Library lists it for the 89th Legislature.GOT HALFWAY. Passed the House on Apr 30, 2025. Died in the Senate: received, never referred to a committee.

Receipt

The receipt

89R-HB1232 · 2024-11-12

SOLD BY

Rep. Chris TurnerDHouse 101

Rep. Giovanni CapriglioneRHouse 98

+ 3 coauthors

ITEM

relating to the reporting of violations of law under the whistleblower protection laws.

WHAT IT DOES

Good-faith reports on your own elected officer are protected.

The bill expands the Texas Whistleblower Act so that a public employee is protected from firing, suspension or other punishment when they report in good faith a violation of law by an elected officer of their own government employer. Today the law covers reports about the employing entity or another public employee, and this adds elected officers to that list. Public workers who report their own bosses' elected officials to law enforcement gain the same job protection, starting immediately or on September 1, 2025.

CHARGES

[ ] NONE FOUND

TOTAL

No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

LBB estimate · fiscal note version I · source

Sources

Fiscal note · version I · April 11, 2025

No first-year general revenue figure available here.

LBB published estimates · flow over the stated periods.

Source snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.

HISTORY

Nov 12, 2024Filed
Mar 10, 2025Read first time
Mar 10, 2025Referred to State Affairs
Apr 14, 2025Scheduled for public hearing on . . .
Apr 14, 2025Considered in public hearing
Apr 14, 2025Testimony taken/registration(s) recorded in committee
Apr 14, 2025Left pending in committee
Apr 16, 2025Considered in formal meeting
Apr 16, 2025Reported favorably w/o amendment(s)
Apr 22, 2025Comte report filed with Committee Coordinator
Apr 22, 2025Committee report distributed
Apr 23, 2025Committee report sent to Calendars
Apr 24, 2025Considered in Calendars
Apr 29, 2025Placed on General State Calendar
Apr 29, 2025Read 2nd time
Apr 29, 2025Passed to engrossment
Apr 29, 2025Record vote RV#859
Apr 29, 2025Statement(s) of vote recorded in Journal
Apr 30, 2025Read 3rd time
Apr 30, 2025Passed
Apr 30, 2025Record vote RV#1006
Apr 30, 2025Statement(s) of vote recorded in Journal
Apr 30, 2025Reported engrossed
Apr 30, 2025Received from the House

FILED UNDER

No verified beat found.

SIGNED FOR BY

House · 107 yea · 32 nay

Sources

House: Final passage · Apr 30, 2025. Journal. Published stock for this vote. Snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.

All floor motions and other positions below.

No flags

THANK YOU FOR CHECKING THE RECEIPT

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

Chris Turner

Donors

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC$108K Texas REALTORS Political Action Committee$100K Texas Sands PAC$84K

Not tied to this bill.

Sources

The author's campaign account only. Own money and internal transfers are separate on the member page.

Derived itemized flow · Oct 27, 2024 to Jun 1, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC$107,500.00

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC

$107,500.00

Cash: $107,500.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $107,500.00

Also funds 137 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 24, 2024 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Dec 6, 2024 to Feb 21, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Report IDs: 100985193, 101006969, 101027154, 101035221, 101040103.

Texas REALTORS Political Action Committee$100,389.10

Texas REALTORS Political Action Committee

$100,389.10

Cash: $70,000.00
Paid by others: $30,389.10
Total: $100,389.10

mail $25,664.64text $3,089.24event $1,125.00Other filed descriptions $260.22advertising $250.00

Also funds 140 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 2, 2024 to Oct 24, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Dec 4, 2024 to Mar 3, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Report IDs: 100985193, 101006969, 101027154, 101040103, 101064980.

Texas Sands PAC$84,000.00

Texas Sands PAC

$84,000.00

Cash: $84,000.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $84,000.00

Also funds 121 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 3, 2024 to Oct 24, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Dec 6, 2024 to Feb 6, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Report IDs: 100985193, 101040103.

Money

Missing data does not establish zero giving. Display amounts are rounded.

×

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC

$107,500.00

Cash: $107,500.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $107,500.00

Also funds 137 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 24, 2024 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Dec 6, 2024 to Feb 21, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Report IDs: 100985193, 101006969, 101027154, 101035221, 101040103.

×

Texas REALTORS Political Action Committee

$100,389.10

Cash: $70,000.00
Paid by others: $30,389.10
Total: $100,389.10

mail $25,664.64text $3,089.24event $1,125.00Other filed descriptions $260.22advertising $250.00

Also funds 140 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 2, 2024 to Oct 24, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Dec 4, 2024 to Mar 3, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Report IDs: 100985193, 101006969, 101027154, 101040103, 101064980.

×

Texas Sands PAC

$84,000.00

Cash: $84,000.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $84,000.00

Also funds 121 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 3, 2024 to Oct 24, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Dec 6, 2024 to Feb 6, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Report IDs: 100985193, 101040103.

Votes2

House Apr 30, 2025

Yea: 107
Nay: 32
Present, not voting: 1
Absent: 5
Excused: 5

Names

Named positions matched to lawmakers. See the journal for unmatched names.

House journal

Sources

Record 1006

HB 1232 was passed by (Record 1006): 107 Yeas, 32 Nays, 1 Present, not voting.

Published stock of positions for this vote, except where marked derived.

Yea: 107 (published)
Nay: 32 (published)
Present, not voting: 1 (published)
Absent: 5 (derived from named list)
Excused: 5 (derived from named list)

House journal. Source snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.

House Apr 29, 2025

Yea: 121
Nay: 28
Present, not voting: 1
Absent: 0
Excused: 0

Names

Named positions matched to lawmakers. See the journal for unmatched names.

House journal

Sources

Record 859

HB 1232 was passed to engrossment by (Record 859): 121 Yeas, 28 Nays, 1 Present, not voting.

Published stock of positions for this vote, except where marked derived.

Yea: 121 (published)
Nay: 28 (published)
Present, not voting: 1 (published)
Absent: 0 (derived from named list)
Excused: 0 (derived from named list)

House journal. Source snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.

Witnesses15

For: 15
Against: 0
On: 0

Names

For

City of Dallas1 registration
Combined Law Enforcement Associations of Texas (CLEAT)1 registration
Dallas County Criminal District Attorney - John Creuzot1 registration
Lone Star Chapter Sierra Club1 registration
Self5 registrations
Self; Austin Justice Coalition1 registration
Self; Equity Action1 registration
Self; Houston Police Officers’ Union1 registration
Self; The Libertarian Party of Texas1 registration
Texas Employment Lawyers Association1 registration
TMPA1 registration

Sources

15 parsed registrations across the loaded witness lists.

Derived stock of witness registrations. Repeated appearances count separately. Organizations and self-representation appear as printed.

House witness list. Source snapshot 2026-10-20, Central time.

Fiscal

No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

LBB estimate · fiscal note version I · source

Sources

Fiscal note · version I · April 11, 2025

No first-year general revenue figure available here.

LBB published estimates · flow over the stated periods.

Source snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.

How this was graded

Analysis of text version I by claude-opus-5-5, Oct 20, 2026, against the published rubric.

Sources

Texas House · Filed Nov 12, 2024

04/30/2025 S Received from the House

Texas Legislature Online · Introduced · House Committee Report · Engrossed

Data snapshot Oct 26, 2026 at 4:20 AM CDT. Grades, charges, quotes and corrections follow the published record.

Coauthors

Trey Martinez FischerDHouse 116

Penny Morales ShawDHouse 148

Mihaela PlesaDHouse 70

House committee · State Affairs · Committee vote 15 aye, 0 nay · Out of committee

Subjects

State Employees

State Officers

WHISTLEBLOWERS

Text

The text as introduced · 162 words

89R2264 CXP-D

By: Turner
H.B. No. 1232

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the reporting of violations of law under the

whistleblower protection laws.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

SECTION 1. Section 554.002(a), Government Code, is amended

to read as follows:

(a) A state or local governmental entity may not suspend or

terminate the employment of, or take other adverse personnel action

against, a public employee who in good faith reports a violation of

law by the employing governmental entity , [ or ] another public

employee , or an elected officer of the employing governmental

entity to an appropriate law enforcement authority.

SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives

a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as

provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this

Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this

Act takes effect September 1, 2025.

Verdict: No flags

The receipt

SOLD BY

ITEM

WHAT IT DOES

CHARGES

TOTAL

HISTORY

SIGNED FOR BY

Donors

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC

Texas REALTORS Political Action Committee

Texas Sands PAC

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC

Texas REALTORS Political Action Committee

Texas Sands PAC

House Apr 30, 2025

House Apr 29, 2025

For