Tex. Fam. Code § 158.209 · Subchapter C. RIGHTS AND DUTIES OF EMPLOYER
EMPLOYER'S PENALTY FOR DISCRIMINATORY HIRING OR DISCHARGE.
Text — Current through the 89th 2nd Called Legislative Session, 2025
(a) An employer may not use an order or writ of withholding as grounds in whole or part for the termination of employment or for any other disciplinary action against an employee.
(b) An employer may not refuse to hire an employee because of an order or writ of withholding.
(c) If an employer intentionally discharges an employee in violation of this section, the employer continues to be liable to the employee for current wages and other benefits and for reasonable and necessary attorney's fees, court costs, and expenses incurred in enforcing the employee's rights as provided in this section. The court may order the fees, costs, expenses, and any postjudgment interest to be paid directly to the attorney, who may enforce the order in the attorney's own name by any means available for the enforcement of a judgment for debt.
(d) An action under this section may be brought by the employee, a friend of the court, the domestic relations office, or the Title IV-D agency.
Notes and commentary — not statutory text
History
Added by Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 20, Sec. 1, eff. April 20, 1995. Amended by Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 911, Sec. 48, eff. Sept. 1, 1997.
Amended by:
Acts 2025, 89th Leg., R.S., Ch. 593 (H.B. 2524), Sec. 42, eff. September 1, 2025.
Source of truth
- Edition
- Current through the 89th 2nd Called Legislative Session, 2025
- Official file
- https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/FA/htm/FA.158.htm
- Text hash
- sha256 be0f38cec3ab6f6a1feaec2c43d57063feccd54445a17c15efbfee5bb6587064
- Composed by
- compose_tx.py 2026-10-05: the Legislative Council's chapter files read in document order; verify_tx.py's independent reading (lxml DOM walk) agrees character for character
Procedural information only. Not legal advice and not a substitute for the advice of an attorney. Confirm the current text with the official publisher before relying on it.