SB 2514

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