Opinion ID: 1745425
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: The Whistleblower Act

Text: Texas's Whistleblower Act prohibits a state or local governmental entity from taking 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 to an appropriate law enforcement authority. Tex. Gov't Code § 554.002(a). Before 1995, the Whistleblower Act did not define the term appropriate law enforcement authority. However, the Legislature's 1995 amendments to the statute added a provision to do so. See Act of May 25, 1995, 74th Leg., R.S. ch. 721, §§ 1-12, 1995 Tex. Gen. Laws 3812 (current version at Tex. Gov't Code § 554.002(b)). Thus, section 554.002 of the Whistleblower Act provides: (b) In this section, a report is made to an appropriate law enforcement authority if the authority is part of a state or local governmental entity or the federal government that the employee in good faith believes is authorized to: (1) regulate under or enforce the law alleged to be violated in the report; or (2) investigate or prosecute a violation of criminal law. Tex. Gov't Code § 554.002(b).