Texas does not require private employers to run sexual harassment training. It does something arguably more consequential: since September 1, 2021, it has had the lowest liability threshold in the country, and supervisors can be sued personally.
If you are looking for a reason to train that is not a compliance checkbox, Texas provides the strongest one of any state without a mandate.
Texas in practice
Austin is the state capital, though the workforce is spread across Houston, San Antonio, Dallas, Fort Worth, and El Paso, five of the twenty largest cities in the United States. Texas spent nine years as an independent republic before joining the Union in 1845, which is why it is the only state whose flag may fly at the same height as the national one.
For beverage alcohol, Texas is one of the fastest-growing craft distilling and brewing markets in the country, and TABC certification is effectively an employer requirement across it. Between restaurants, bars, distributors, and package stores, a very large share of Texas employment sits in exactly the environments where harassment claims arise.
What changed in 2021
Three bills took effect on September 1, 2021, revising the Texas Commission on Human Rights Act in Chapter 21 of the Texas Labor Code. Senate Bill 45 did most of the work.
One employee is enough. For sexual harassment claims, the definition of employer now covers any business with at least one employee. The usual fifteen-employee threshold does not apply.
Individuals can be personally liable. Liability extends to anyone acting directly in the interest of an employer in relation to an employee. Supervisors, managers, owners, agents, and contractors can be named as defendants in their own right, which was effectively not possible in Texas before.
The standard for responding got harder. An employer commits an unlawful employment practice if it knew or should have known harassment was occurring and failed to take immediate and appropriate corrective action. The previous standard was prompt remedial action.
The filing window doubled. House Bill 21 extended the deadline for filing a sexual harassment charge from 180 days to 300 days. Every other discrimination claim under Texas law still runs on 180.
Why "immediate" is the word that matters
The shift from prompt remedial action to immediate and appropriate corrective action is small on the page and large in a courtroom. It puts weight on how fast a manager acted once they knew, or once a reasonable manager should have known.
That is a training problem, not a policy problem. A written policy in a binder does not shorten the gap between a complaint and a response. A supervisor who has been trained on what triggers the duty to act, and what to do in the first hour, does.
Who enforces it
The Texas Workforce Commission Civil Rights Division handles charges under Chapter 21. Charges are commonly dual-filed with the federal EEOC under a work-sharing arrangement.
Texas does mandate training in one place: state agencies must provide it to employees, on a defined schedule. Private employers are left to decide for themselves, against a liability standard that is now stricter than the federal one.
What sensible Texas employers do
With a one-employee threshold, personal exposure for supervisors, and a 300-day window, the practical answer for most Texas operators is to train everyone and keep the records. There is no state-prescribed course length or renewal interval to hit, which means you set the cycle. Annual is the common choice.
A company account lets you assign training at onboarding, run the supervisor track separately given their personal exposure, and keep dated completion records for the ten months a claim can remain live.
Texas sexual harassment training FAQ
Is sexual harassment training required in Texas?
Not for private employers. State agencies have a training requirement, but there is no general private-sector mandate.
How many employees before Texas harassment law applies?
One. Since September 1, 2021, the definition of employer for sexual harassment claims covers any business with at least one employee, rather than the usual fifteen.
Can a supervisor be sued personally in Texas?
Yes. SB 45 extended liability to individuals acting directly in the interest of an employer, so supervisors, managers, owners, and contractors can be named individually.
How long does an employee have to file?
300 days for sexual harassment claims. Other discrimination claims under Texas law remain at 180 days.
What standard does an employer have to meet?
Immediate and appropriate corrective action, once the employer knew or should have known harassment was occurring. That is a higher bar than the prior prompt remedial action standard.
Harassment training in other states
Requirements differ sharply by state on duration, frequency, and headcount thresholds, so take the version for the state you operate in: Utah, Vermont, Tennessee, and more in the full compliance catalog. If your state sets no mandate, the general non-state-specific course covers the federal baseline. Track completion across a roster from the Learn Brands dashboard.
Buying for a team?
Seats are $18.99 each. Register your business free and assign seats across your whole staff. You can see who has started, who has finished, and when certificates expire from the Learn Brands dashboard.