Governor Abbott Vetoes HB 2463 (85R)
Pursuant to Article IV, Section 14, of the Texas Constitution, I, Greg Abbott, Governor of Texas, do hereby disapprove of and veto House Bill No. 2463 as passed by the Eighty-Fifth Texas Legislature, Regular Session, because of the following objections:
State agencies should be encouraged to continually consider new ideas and new perspectives in a constant effort to reduce cost and improve service for the taxpayers. While House Bill 2463 was well-intentioned, its practical effect could have been to encourage a business-as-usual culture in state government. Bureaucracies are too often inclined to resist innovation and place an outsized value on the organization’s old way of doing things. State employees should be encouraged to propose better ways to serve the taxpayers, not taught to do their job just the way their predecessor did it. Additionally, the purposes of House Bill 2463 are, in many respects, already achieved by Section 2056.0021 of the Government Code, which provides that “a state agency shall conduct a strategic staffing analysis and develop a workforce plan, according to guidelines developed by the state auditor, to address critical staffing and training needs of the agency, including the need for experienced employees to impart knowledge to their potential successors.”
Since the Eighty-Fifth Texas Legislature, Regular Session, by its adjournment has prevented the return of this bill, I am filing these objections in the office of the Secretary of State and giving notice thereof by this public proclamation according to the aforementioned constitutional provision.
IN TESTIMONY WHEREOF, I have signed my name officially and caused the Seal of the State to be affixed hereto at Austin, this 15th day of June, 2017.
GREG ABBOTT
Governor