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AUSTIN — The clock ran out midnight Tuesday, May 21, on a bill to curb sexual harassment in Texas workplaces. Sen. Judith Zaffirini’s Senate Bill 46, which was carried by Rep. Erin Zwiener in the House, narrowly missed a Tuesday deadline after advancing unanimously through the Senate. The bill would have required the Texas Workforce Commission to accept sexual harassment claims from employees of workplaces of all sizes. Current law only allows complaints against workplaces with 15 or more employees, leaving hundreds of thousands of workers with no protection.
“I am proud of our bipartisan work to ensure those experiencing sexual harassment have a voice no matter how big or small their employer,” said Rep. Zwiener. “Employees of smaller organizations should have the same workplace protections as employees of larger ones, but right now that is not the case. We have made substantial progress this session on legislation to make sure that every Texan has access to a fair and transparent process.”
The bill enjoyed wide, bipartisan support: Senator Joan Huffman moved the bill through the Senate State Affairs Committee; Representatives Sarah Davis, Angie Chen Button, Rafael Anchia, and Geanie Morrison signed on as joint authors to the House companion; and 56 members signed on as coauthors to the House companion. However, the bill was placed near the end of the last House calendar, and when the clock ran out at midnight, SB 46 was still six bills down the calendar.
“There’s no other way to say it: The legislature let down the people of Texas,” said Rep. Zwiener. “In the wake of the Me Too movement, we owed survivors of workplace sexual harassment action, and we didn’t prioritize it highly enough to get it done. However, this was a major effort with bipartisan support, and I am confident we can get sexual harassment protections for all Texas workers over the finish line next session.”
