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|   | By:  Vo, Garcia, Neave Criado, Geren, Guillen, | H.B.  No.  1152 |
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|   | 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 [ |
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|   | 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; | |
|   |                         Statutes affected: Introduced: () House Committee Report: Occupations Code 1701.451 (Occupations Code 1701) Engrossed: Occupations Code 1701.451 (Occupations Code 1701) | |