Bill lets workers who quit over sexual harassment collect unemployment

The text as introduced · 511 words

89R5763 DNC-D

By: Menéndez
S.B. No. 543

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to eligibility for unemployment compensation for

employees who leave the workplace due to sexual harassment.

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

SECTION 1. Section 207.046(a), Labor Code, is amended to

read as follows:

(a) An individual is not disqualified for benefits under

this subchapter if:

(1) the work-related reason for the individual's

separation from employment was urgent, compelling, and necessary so

as to make the separation involuntary;

(2) the individual leaves the workplace to protect the

individual from family violence or stalking or the individual or a

member of the individual's immediate family from violence related

to a sexual assault as evidenced by:

(A) an active or recently issued protective order

documenting sexual assault of the individual or a member of the

individual's immediate family or family violence against, or the

stalking of, the individual or the potential for family violence

against, or the stalking of, the individual;

(B) a police record documenting sexual assault of

the individual or a member of the individual's immediate family or

family violence against, or the stalking of, the individual;

(C) a physician's statement or other medical

documentation that describes the sexual assault of the individual

or a member of the individual's immediate family or family violence

against the individual that:

(i) is recorded in any form or medium that

identifies the individual or member of the individual's immediate

family, as applicable, as the patient; and

(ii) relates to the history, diagnosis,

treatment, or prognosis of the patient; or

(D) written documentation from a family violence

center or rape crisis center that describes the sexual assault of

the individual or a member of the individual's immediate family or

family violence against the individual;

(3) the individual leaves the workplace to care for

the individual's terminally ill spouse as evidenced by a

physician's statement or other medical documentation, but only if

no reasonable, alternative care was available; [ or ]

(4) the individual's separation from employment was

caused by the individual being called to provide:

(A) service in the uniformed services, as defined

by 38 U.S.C. Section 4303; or

(B) service in the Texas military forces, as

defined by Section 437.001, Government Code ; or

(5) the individual leaves the workplace because of

sexual harassment, but only if the individual:

(A) reported the sexual harassment to:

(i) the individual's employer; or

(ii) a law enforcement agency; or

(B) filed a sexual harassment complaint with the

commission under Chapter 21 or with the federal Equal Employment

Opportunity Commission .

SECTION 2. The change in law made by this Act applies only

to a claim for unemployment compensation benefits filed with the

Texas Workforce Commission on or after the effective date of this

Act. A claim filed before the effective date of this Act is

governed by the law in effect on the date the claim was filed, and

the former law is continued in effect for that purpose.

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