cities must close or defund DEI programs

The text as introduced · 411 words

89R16029 JBD-D

By: Bell of Montgomery
H.B. No. 4496

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to municipal diversity, equity, and inclusion

initiatives.

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

SECTION 1. Subtitle A, Title 5, Local Government Code, is

amended by adding Chapter 148 to read as follows:

CHAPTER 148. PROHIBITION ON MUNICIPAL DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND

INCLUSION INITIATIVES

Sec. 148.001. DEFINITIONS. In this chapter:

(1) "Diversity, equity, and inclusion initiative"

means an initiative that:

(A) is based on the belief that identity

classifications are central to understanding social, professional,

and political disparities;

(B) requires, encourages, or otherwise promotes

organizational practices such as employee hiring and promotion,

resource allocation, or policy formulation to achieve proportional

representation of identity classification groups or to eliminate

perceived systemic differences between them; or

(C) otherwise promotes discriminatory treatment

of a person on the basis of the person's identity classification.

(2) "Identity classification" means a classification

of a person based on the race, color, religion, national origin,

sex, age, disability status, medical history, pregnancy status,

sexual orientation, genetic information, gender identity, or

ethnicity of the person.

Sec. 148.002. PROHIBITION ON MUNICIPAL SPENDING OF PUBLIC

MONEY ON DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION INITIATIVES. Except as

required by federal law, a municipality may not spend public money

or provide compensation in any manner to directly or indirectly:

(1) fund a department, program, office, or committee,

or pay compensation to a person associated with a department,

program, office, or committee, that is focused on formulating,

promoting, or implementing a diversity, equity, and inclusion

initiative; or

(2) hire or contract with an independent vendor or

contractor to formulate, promote, or implement a diversity, equity,

and inclusion initiative.

Sec. 148.003. DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION INITIATIVES

AFFECTING MUNICIPAL OFFICERS AND EMPLOYEES. Except as required by

federal law, the governing body of a municipality may not:

(1) adopt or enforce an ordinance, regulation, or

other measure that:

(A) implements or advocates for a diversity,

equity, and inclusion initiative; or

(B) seeks to discriminate on the basis of

identity classification; or

(2) discriminate on the basis of identity

classification in adopting or implementing organizational

practices.

Sec. 148.004. ENFORCEMENT. A person may bring an action to

enjoin a violation under this chapter in a district court if the

person has been discriminated against on the basis of one or more of

the person's identity classifications in a manner that violates

this chapter.

SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.