Bill Summary – FastDemocracy

      
            S.B. No. 252
         
               AN ACT
            
            relating to the licensing of certain veterans by the Texas 
         
            Commission on Law Enforcement and the hiring of those veterans by 
         
            political subdivisions.
         
                   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         
                   SECTION 1.  The heading to Chapter 370, Local Government 
         
            Code, is amended to read as follows:
         
            CHAPTER 370.  MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS RELATING TO [MUNICIPAL AND 
         
            COUNTY] HEALTH AND PUBLIC SAFETY OF MORE THAN ONE TYPE OF LOCAL 
         
            GOVERNMENT
         
                   SECTION 2.  Chapter 370, Local Government Code, is amended 
         
            by adding Section 370.007 to read as follows:
         
                   Sec. 370.007.  APPOINTING OR EMPLOYING CERTAIN VETERANS TO 
         
            POSITION REQUIRING LICENSURE.  (a)  In this section, "commission" 
         
            means the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement.
         
                   (b)  Notwithstanding any other law, a political subdivision 
         
            that appoints or employs a person to hold a position that requires 
         
            the person to be licensed by the commission may appoint or employ a 
         
            legal permanent resident of the United States to hold the position 
         
            if the person is an honorably discharged veteran of the armed forces 
         
            of the United States with at least two years of service before 
         
            discharge and holds the appropriate license issued by the 
         
            commission.
         
                   (c)  A political subdivision may not appoint or employ a 
         
            person under this section to hold a supervisory position until the 
         
            person becomes a United States citizen.
         
                   SECTION 3.  Subchapter G, Chapter 1701, Occupations Code, is 
         
            amended by adding Section 1701.3095 to read as follows:
         
                   Sec. 1701.3095.  LICENSING OF CERTAIN VETERANS WHO ARE LEGAL 
         
            PERMANENT RESIDENTS.  The commission shall issue a license the 
         
            commission is authorized to issue to a person who is a legal 
         
            permanent resident of the United States if the person:
         
                         (1)  meets the requirements of this chapter and the 
         
            commission's rules for the license;
         
                         (2)  is an honorably discharged veteran of the armed 
         
            forces of the United States with at least two years of service 
         
            before discharge; and
         
                         (3)  presents evidence satisfactory to the commission 
         
            that the person has applied for United States citizenship.
         
                   SECTION 4.  Section 1701.451(a), Occupations Code, is 
         
            amended to read as follows:
         
                   (a)  Before a law enforcement agency may hire a person 
         
            licensed under this chapter, the agency must, on a form and in the 
         
            manner prescribed by the commission:
         
                         (1)  obtain the person's written consent for the agency 
         
            to review the information required to be reviewed under this 
         
            section;
         
                         (2)  request from the commission and any other 
         
            applicable person information required to be reviewed under this 
         
            section; and
         
                         (3)  submit to the commission confirmation that the 
         
            agency, to the best of the agency's ability before hiring the 
         
            person:
         
                               (A)  contacted each entity or individual 
         
            necessary to obtain the information required to be reviewed under 
         
            this section; and
         
                               (B)  except as provided by Subsection (b), 
         
            obtained and reviewed as related to the person, as applicable:
         
                                     (i)  personnel files and other employee 
         
            records from each previous law enforcement agency employer, 
         
            including the employment application submitted to the previous 
         
            employer;
         
                                     (ii)  employment termination reports 
         
            maintained by the commission under this subchapter;
         
                                     (iii)  service records maintained by the 
         
            commission;
         
                                     (iv)  proof that the person meets the 
         
            minimum qualifications for enrollment in a training program under 
         
            Section 1701.251(a);
         
                                     (v)  a military veteran's United States 
         
            Department of Defense Form DD-214 or other military discharge 
         
            record;
         
                                     (vi)  criminal history record information;
         
Statutes affected: 
Introduced:  ()
Senate Committee Report: Occupations Code 1701.451 (Occupations Code 1701)
Engrossed: Occupations Code 1701.451 (Occupations Code 1701)
House Committee Report: Occupations Code 1701.451 (Occupations Code 1701)
Enrolled: Occupations Code 1701.451 (Occupations Code 1701)




	AN ACT
	relating to the licensing of certain veterans by the Texas
	Commission on Law Enforcement and the hiring of those veterans by
	political subdivisions.
	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
	SECTION 1. The heading to Chapter 370, Local Government
	Code, is amended to read as follows:
	CHAPTER 370. MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS RELATING TO [~~MUNICIPAL AND~~
	~~COUNTY~~] HEALTH AND PUBLIC SAFETY OF MORE THAN ONE TYPE OF LOCAL
	GOVERNMENT
	SECTION 2. Chapter 370, Local Government Code, is amended
	by adding Section 370.007 to read as follows:
	Sec. 370.007. APPOINTING OR EMPLOYING CERTAIN VETERANS TO
	POSITION REQUIRING LICENSURE. (a) In this section, "commission"
	means the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement.
	(b) Notwithstanding any other law, a political subdivision
	that appoints or employs a person to hold a position that requires
	the person to be licensed by the commission may appoint or employ a
	legal permanent resident of the United States to hold the position
	if the person is an honorably discharged veteran of the armed forces
	of the United States with at least two years of service before
	discharge and holds the appropriate license issued by the
	commission.
	(c) A political subdivision may not appoint or employ a
	person under this section to hold a supervisory position until the
	person becomes a United States citizen.
	SECTION 3. Subchapter G, Chapter 1701, Occupations Code, is
	amended by adding Section 1701.3095 to read as follows:
	Sec. 1701.3095. LICENSING OF CERTAIN VETERANS WHO ARE LEGAL
	PERMANENT RESIDENTS. The commission shall issue a license the
	commission is authorized to issue to a person who is a legal
	permanent resident of the United States if the person:
	(1) meets the requirements of this chapter and the
	commission's rules for the license;
	(2) is an honorably discharged veteran of the armed
	forces of the United States with at least two years of service
	before discharge; and
	(3) presents evidence satisfactory to the commission
	that the person has applied for United States citizenship.
	SECTION 4. Section 1701.451(a), Occupations Code, is
	amended to read as follows:
	(a) Before a law enforcement agency may hire a person
	licensed under this chapter, the agency must, on a form and in the
	manner prescribed by the commission:
	(1) obtain the person's written consent for the agency
	to review the information required to be reviewed under this
	section;
	(2) request from the commission and any other
	applicable person information required to be reviewed under this
	section; and
	(3) submit to the commission confirmation that the
	agency, to the best of the agency's ability before hiring the
	person:
	(A) contacted each entity or individual
	necessary to obtain the information required to be reviewed under
	this section; and
	(B) except as provided by Subsection (b),
	obtained and reviewed as related to the person, as applicable:
	(i) personnel files and other employee
	records from each previous law enforcement agency employer,
	including the employment application submitted to the previous
	employer;
	(ii) employment termination reports
	maintained by the commission under this subchapter;
	(iii) service records maintained by the
	commission;
	(iv) proof that the person meets the
	minimum qualifications for enrollment in a training program under
	Section 1701.251(a);
	(v) a military veteran's United States
	Department of Defense Form DD-214 or other military discharge
	record;
	(vi) criminal history record information;
Statutes affected: Introduced: () Senate Committee Report: Occupations Code 1701.451 (Occupations Code 1701) Engrossed: Occupations Code 1701.451 (Occupations Code 1701) House Committee Report: Occupations Code 1701.451 (Occupations Code 1701) Enrolled: Occupations Code 1701.451 (Occupations Code 1701)