The Senate Local Government Committee has scheduled a hearing for 12:30 p.m., Monday, March 31, 2025, to hear public testimony on a number of bills, including one on superintendent severance pay:
SB 2237 Bettencourt – This bill establishes new regulations concerning severance pay for executive employees of political subdivisions in Texas, as outlined in the newly added Section 180.011 of the Local Government Code. It defines critical terms such as misconduct and severance pay, clarifying when severance can be awarded. The bill categorizes executive employees as chief executive officers, department heads, and school superintendents. One provision prohibits severance pay if an executive is terminated for misconduct. In addition, the bill limits severance pay to a maximum of 20 weeks of the employee’s salary at the time of termination. Political subdivisions are mandated to publish severance agreements on their websites. Additionally, the bill stipulates that any legal actions related to these agreements must comply with the new provisions, refusing enforcement of any judgment that does not align with the outlined severance pay limitations. The law is set to take effect on September 1, 2025, and applies to employment agreements entered into or legal actions filed after that date.
