Relating to the duty of the attorney general to prosecute criminal offenses prescribed by the election laws of this state.

Contracts

• Election Services Vendors: If your company provides logistics, printing, or technology to county election boards, review indemnification clauses immediately. You must insulate your organization from liability regarding procedural errors that the AG may classify as criminal conduct.
• Employment Agreements: Review standard employment contracts and handbooks. Ensure no language exists that could be interpreted as coercing political activity or restricting voting rights, as these are now subject to direct AG scrutiny.

Hiring/Training

• HR & Management Training: Managers must be retrained on Texas Election Code § 276.004 (Time Off to Vote). The AG now has a mandate to prosecute employers who unlawfully refuse voting leave or penalize employees for voting.
• Government Relations Staff: In-house lobbyists and PAC treasurers require refreshed training on strict compliance. Technical errors in campaign finance reporting previously handled administratively may now trigger criminal referrals to the AG.

Reporting & Record-Keeping

• Defensive Documentation: Establish a "Compliance Log" for all political spending and HR voting-leave requests. Since law enforcement *must* report "probable cause" to the AG, your internal records must be impeccable to refute allegations before they escalate to a state investigation.
• Preservation Holds: Update document retention policies to ensure communications regarding political activity are retained for at least 3 years to match the AG’s investigative scope.

Fees & Costs

• Legal Defense Reserves: While there are no new statutory fees, the cost of defense will increase. Defending an investigation by the State AG is significantly more resource-intensive than addressing inquiries from a local DA or Ethics Commission.