Relating to the reporting of violations of law and wasteful spending under the whistleblower protection laws.

HB 5573 strengthens whistleblower protections for Texas public employees by prohibiting state and local governments from retaliating against workers who report wasteful spending or fraud to law enforcement. The bill directly affects public employees in state or local government who report violations of law or fiscal misconduct. It amends the Government Code to explicitly ban adverse actions like termination or punishment for such good-faith reports. The law takes effect immediately if approved by a two-thirds vote, otherwise on September 1, 2025.