Monitoring the Session

HB 512

bill requiring a grievance process at every state agency

Died in committee

Verdict: No flags

No flagsInitial review
Rep. Philip CortezDHouse 117

Initial review · graded Oct 20, 2026 · Headline, summary and grade are analysis of the bill text, not a finding about any person · How we grade

Caption

relating to the establishment of state agency grievance procedures for state agency employees.

Caption from analyzed text · version I.

Summary

Reprimands, demotions, pay cuts, even at-will firings can be appealed.

The bill requires every state agency, including universities, the legislature, and the state courts, to set up a formal grievance process for its employees. Employees can appeal reprimands, demotions, suspensions, pay cuts, firings (including at-will firings), and disputes over pay, hours, or working conditions. Each appeal is treated as a contested case under the state's administrative procedure law, and agencies must adopt their rules by January 1, 2026.

Labels

Labels: PENDING FOREVER. Heard by the House Delivery of Government Efficiency committee on Apr 2, 2025 and left pending. Never voted out. The bill died.

Receipt

The receipt

89R-HB512 · 2024-11-12

SOLD BY

Rep. Philip CortezDHouse 117

ITEM

relating to the establishment of state agency grievance procedures for state agency employees.

WHAT IT DOES

Reprimands, demotions, pay cuts, even at-will firings can be appealed.

The bill requires every state agency, including universities, the legislature, and the state courts, to set up a formal grievance process for its employees. Employees can appeal reprimands, demotions, suspensions, pay cuts, firings (including at-will firings), and disputes over pay, hours, or working conditions. Each appeal is treated as a contested case under the state's administrative procedure law, and agencies must adopt their rules by January 1, 2026.

CHARGES

[ ] NONE FOUND

TOTAL

No first-year general revenue figure available here.

LBB estimate · fiscal note version I · source

Sources

Fiscal note · version I · April 1, 2025

The fiscal implications of this bill cannot be determined because of the unknown volume of new grievance filings at each agency.

LBB published estimates · flow over the stated periods.

Source snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.

HISTORY

  1. Filed
  2. Read first time
  3. Referred to Delivery of Government Efficiency
  4. Scheduled for public hearing on . . .
  5. Considered in public hearing
  6. Testimony taken/registration(s) recorded in committee
  7. Left pending in committee
FILED UNDER

No verified beat found.

No flags

THANK YOU FOR CHECKING THE RECEIPT

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

Philip Cortez

Donors

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC$44KTexas Sands PAC$37KPhysicians for Free Market Healthcare PAC$35K

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 28, 2024 to Oct 24, 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$44,000.00

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC

$44,000.00

Cash
$44,000.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$44,000.00

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 Sep 25, 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: 100985407, 101008363, 101026711, 101035640, 101039466, 101052595, 101071633.

Texas Sands PAC$37,000.00

Texas Sands PAC

$37,000.00

Cash
$37,000.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$37,000.00

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 Oct 24, 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: 100985407, 101039466, 101071633.

Physicians for Free Market Healthcare PAC$35,000.00

Physicians for Free Market Healthcare PAC

$35,000.00

Cash
$35,000.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$35,000.00

Also funds 33 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jun 30, 2025 to Oct 22, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · Sep 22, 2025 to Oct 15, 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: 101026711, 101035640, 101071633.

Money

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

×

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC

$44,000.00

Cash
$44,000.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$44,000.00

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 Sep 25, 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: 100985407, 101008363, 101026711, 101035640, 101039466, 101052595, 101071633.

×

Texas Sands PAC

$37,000.00

Cash
$37,000.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$37,000.00

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 Oct 24, 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: 100985407, 101039466, 101071633.

×

Physicians for Free Market Healthcare PAC

$35,000.00

Cash
$35,000.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$35,000.00

Also funds 33 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jun 30, 2025 to Oct 22, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · Sep 22, 2025 to Oct 15, 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: 101026711, 101035640, 101071633.

Votes

No floor vote loaded for this bill.

Fiscal

No first-year general revenue figure available here.

LBB estimate · fiscal note version I · source

Sources

Fiscal note · version I · April 1, 2025

The fiscal implications of this bill cannot be determined because of the unknown volume of new grievance filings at each agency.

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

04/02/2025 H Left pending in committee

Texas Legislature Online · Introduced

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

House committee · Delivery of Government Efficiency · Final status: Died in committee

Companion

SB 2890 by Cook (identical)

Subjects

State Agencies, Boards & Commissions

State Employees

GRIEVANCE PROCEDURES

Text

The text as introduced · 329 words

89R1412 SCP-F

By: Cortez
H.B. No. 512

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the establishment of state agency grievance procedures

for state agency employees.

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

SECTION 1. Subtitle B, Title 6, Government Code, is amended

by adding Chapter 674 to read as follows:

CHAPTER 674. EMPLOYEE GRIEVANCE PROCEDURES

Sec. 674.001. DEFINITIONS. In this chapter:

(1) "Agency employee" means an individual, other than

a state officer, who is employed by a state agency.

(2) "State agency" means:

(A) a department, commission, board, office, or

other agency in the executive branch of state government that was

created by the Texas Constitution or a statute of this state,

including a university system or an institution of higher education

as those terms are defined by Section 61.003, Education Code, other

than a public junior college as defined by Section 61.003,

Education Code;

(B) the legislature or a legislative agency; or

(C) the supreme court, the court of criminal

appeals, a court of appeals, the state bar, or another state

judicial agency.

Sec. 674.002. AGENCY EMPLOYEE GRIEVANCE PROCEDURE. (a)

The executive head of each state agency by rule shall establish a

grievance procedure for agency employees. The procedure must allow

an agency employee to appeal an employment action taken by the

agency regarding:

(1) a disciplinary action imposed on the employee,

including:

(A) an oral or written reprimand;

(B) a demotion;

(C) a suspension;

(D) a reduction in compensation; and

(E) a termination for cause and at will; or

(2) the employee's compensation or working conditions,

including the hours the employee is required to work.

(b) An appeal made under this section is considered to be a

contested case under Chapter 2001.

SECTION 2. Not later than January 1, 2026, the executive

head of each state agency shall adopt rules necessary to implement

Chapter 674, Government Code, as added by this Act.

SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.