Relating to establishing the hostile foreign adversaries unit at the Department of Public Safety and training, prohibitions, and reporting requirements designed to combat foreign influence and foreign adversary operations; creating a criminal offense.

89(R) SB 2514 - Enrolled version - Bill Text

S.B. No. 2514

AN ACT

relating to establishing the hostile foreign adversaries unit at

the Department of Public Safety and training, prohibitions, and

reporting requirements designed to combat foreign influence and

foreign adversary operations; creating a criminal offense.

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

SECTION 1. Chapter 411, Government Code, is amended by

adding Subchapter S to read as follows:

SUBCHAPTER S. HOSTILE FOREIGN ADVERSARIES UNIT

Sec. 411.551. DEFINITIONS. In this subchapter:

(1)

"Foreign adversary operation" means actions by

adversarial foreign governments that threaten the safety and

security of this state.

(2)

"Unit" means the department's hostile foreign

adversaries unit established under this subchapter.

Sec.

411.552.

HOSTILE FOREIGN ADVERSARIES UNIT. The

hostile foreign adversaries unit is established in the department

to support the department's duty to prevent the harassment and

coercion of this state's residents from foreign adversary

operations, strengthen state agencies against foreign adversary

operations, and protect this state's critical infrastructure

against threats foreign adversary operations pose.

Sec.

411.553.

UNIT EMPLOYEES.

The director may appoint

unit employees as necessary to perform unit functions.

Sec.

411.554.

BIENNIAL REPORT. (a) Not later than December

1 of each even-numbered year, the unit shall submit to the governor

and the legislature a written report that assesses the threat

foreign adversary operations posed to this state, including to this

state's residents and governmental units, during the preceding two

years. The report must include:

(1)

an assessment of the incidence of foreign

adversary operations conducted in this state, including operations

intended to influence political sentiment or public discourse; and

(2)

strategies that have proven effective to combat

the operations described by Subdivision (1).

(b)

On request by the unit, a state agency or a local law

enforcement agency shall provide to the unit information relating

to any foreign adversary operation that the agency has researched

or investigated or otherwise holds relevant information on.

Sec.

411.555.

ADDITIONAL DUTIES. (a) The unit shall

collaborate with local governments and federal agencies to operate

the Texas Fusion Center.

(b)

The unit shall refer for prosecution to the appropriate

prosecuting attorney cases in which individuals or organizations

have engaged in or assisted in foreign adversary operations in this

state.

Sec.

411.556.

SECURE STORAGE OF SENSITIVE INFORMATION. (a)

The unit shall provide for the secure storage of sensitive

information obtained or produced as part of the report developed

under Section 411.554.

(b)

Information determined as sensitive under Subsection

(a) is not subject to disclosure under Chapter 552.

Sec.

411.557.

INFORMATION SHARING. With the approval of

the director, the unit may share information determined sensitive

under Section 411.556(a) with another federal, state, or local law

enforcement agency. The disclosure of information under this

section is not a voluntary disclosure under Section 552.007.

Sec.

411.558.

RULES. The commission may adopt rules to

implement this subchapter.

SECTION 2. Subchapter C, Chapter 572, Government Code, is

amended by adding Section 572.070 to read as follows:

Sec.

572.070.

PROHIBITIONS AND REPORTING REQUIREMENTS

RELATED TO FOREIGN INFLUENCE; CRIMINAL OFFENSE. (a) In this

section, "foreign adversary" means a country:

(1)

identified by the United States Director of

National Intelligence as a country that poses a risk to the national

security of the United States in at least one of the three most

recent Annual Threat Assessments of the U.S. Intelligence Community

issued pursuant to Section 108B, National Security Act of 1947 (50

U.S.C. Section 3043b); or

(2)

designated by the governor after consultation with

the public safety director of the Department of Public Safety.

(b)

An employee or volunteer of a state agency or a

political subdivision of this state may not:

(1)

accept transportation to or lodging in a country

that is a foreign adversary and that is paid for by the foreign

adversary because of the employee's or volunteer's position with

the state or political subdivision; or

(2)

accept a gift or item of value from a person

representing a foreign adversary for any purpose, including to pay

for travel expenses or as reimbursement for the costs of attending a

conference or other event in a country that is a foreign adversary

or that is hosted on behalf of a foreign adversary or a principal of

a foreign adversary.

(c)

An employee or volunteer of a state agency or a

political subdivision of this state shall report to the commission,

in the form and manner the commission requires, each interaction,

communication, or meeting the employee or volunteer has with a

person acting on behalf of a foreign adversary not later than the

30th day after the date of the interaction, communication, or

meeting. The commission shall make available a report under this

subsection to the attorney general and the Texas Department of

Public Safety on request.

(d)

A person commits an offense if the person knowingly

violates this section. An offense under this subsection is a state

jail felony.

SECTION 3. Section 2054.519, Government Code, is amended by

adding Subsections (f) and (g) to read as follows:

(f)

In addition to the requirements for certification under

Subsection (b), a cybersecurity training program must include

education on:

(1)

the threat of foreign adversaries and other

hostile foreign actors, including the United Front Work Department

of the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party and other

coordinated foreign influence operations;

(2)

known efforts by foreign adversaries to target and

influence subnational governments, including efforts made by the

United Front Work Department;

(3)

identifying and recognizing suspected foreign

influence operations;

(4)

informational resources promulgated by federal,

state, and nongovernmental organizations on United Front Work

Department activities in this state and adjacent states; and

(5)

reporting to the Texas Ethics Commission as

required by Section 572.070 and to law enforcement agencies

suspected foreign influence operations and other interactions with

persons acting on behalf of a foreign adversary.

(g)

In Subsection (f), "foreign adversary" has the meaning

assigned by Section 572.070.

SECTION 4. Section 572.070(c), Government Code, as added by

this Act, applies to an interaction, communication, or meeting with

a person acting on behalf of a foreign adversary that occurs on or

after March 1, 2025. A person required to report an interaction,

communication, or meeting under that section that occurred before

the effective date of this Act shall make the report not later than

the 30th day after the effective date of this Act.

SECTION 5. (a) Not later than December 1, 2025, the

Department of Information Resources shall adopt rules implementing

the certification requirements of Section 2054.519(f), Government

Code, as added by this Act.

(b) Section 2054.519(f), Government Code, as added by this

Act, applies only to the certification of a cybersecurity training

program under that section that occurs on or after May 1, 2026. The

certification of a cybersecurity training program under that

section that occurs before May 1, 2026, is governed by the law in

effect on the date of the certification, and the former law is

continued in effect for that purpose.

SECTION 6. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.

______________________________

______________________________

President of the Senate

Speaker of the House

I hereby certify that S.B. No. 2514 passed the Senate on

May 5, 2025, by the following vote: Yeas 29, Nays 2.

______________________________

Secretary of the Senate

I hereby certify that S.B. No. 2514 passed the House on

May 23, 2025, by the following vote: Yeas 114, Nays 24, one

present not voting.

______________________________

Chief Clerk of the House

Approved:

______________________________

Date

______________________________

Governor