By Willis, Naishtat                                    H.B. No. 216
                                 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
    1-1                                AN ACT
    1-2  relating to the appointment or employment of veterans by public
    1-3  agencies.
    1-4        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
    1-5        SECTION 1.  Section 1, Chapter 357, Acts of the 49th
    1-6  Legislature, Regular Session, 1945 (Article 4413(31), Vernon's
    1-7  Texas Civil Statutes), is amended to read as follows:
    1-8        Sec. 1.  From and after the effective date of this Act, in
    1-9  every public department, commission, board, and government agency,
   1-10  and upon all public works of this State, all honorably discharged
   1-11  soldiers, sailors, marines, members of the air corps and coast
   1-12  guard of the United States, nurses in military service of the
   1-13  United States, and all women in military service of the United
   1-14  States in the different auxiliary services thereof<, in the
   1-15  Spanish-American War, Philippine Insurrection, China Relief
   1-16  Expedition, World War I and World War II, or in any other military
   1-17  conflict in which the United States of America has been a
   1-18  participant, or the war in Korea after June 24, 1950, or the Viet
   1-19  Nam conflict after July, 1953, and the widows and orphans of such
   1-20  personnel of the Armed Forces of the United States,> who are <and
   1-21  have been> citizens of Texas <for not less than five (5) years
   1-22  preceding the date of application in pursuance of this Act,> and
   1-23  are competent and fully qualified, shall be entitled to preference
   1-24  in appointment or employment over other applicants for the same
    2-1  position having no greater qualification<; provided, that this Act
    2-2  shall not apply or benefit any person who was a conscientious
    2-3  objector at the time of his or her discharge from any of the
    2-4  military services herein mentioned>.
    2-5        SECTION 2.  Chapter 357, Acts of the 49th Legislature,
    2-6  Regular Session, 1945 (Article 4413(31), Vernon's Texas Civil
    2-7  Statutes), is amended by adding Section 9 to read as follows:
    2-8        Sec. 9.  Employing entities subject to this Act shall
    2-9  maintain a record of employment by that entity of personnel subject
   2-10  to preference under this Act.  Based on these records, the Texas
   2-11  Veterans Commission shall prepare and file annually with the
   2-12  Legislature of the State of Texas a combined report that states:
   2-13              (1)  the percentage of the total number of employees
   2-14  hired by each employing entity during the reporting period who are
   2-15  persons entitled to preference under this Act; and
   2-16              (2)  the percentage of the total number of each
   2-17  employing entity's employees who are entitled to preference under
   2-18  this Act.
   2-19        SECTION 3.  To the extent possible from existing records,
   2-20  each entity subject to Chapter 357, Acts of the 49th Legislature,
   2-21  Regular Session, 1945 (Article 4413(31), Vernon's Texas Civil
   2-22  Statutes), shall compile and report to the Texas Veterans
   2-23  Commission the information described by Section 9 of that Act, as
   2-24  added by Section 2 of this Act, for the fiscal year ending August
   2-25  31, 1993.  Based on that information, the Texas Veterans Commission
   2-26  shall file an initial report under that section not later than
   2-27  December 31, 1993.
    3-1        SECTION 4.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1993.
    3-2        SECTION 5.  The importance of this legislation and the
    3-3  crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
    3-4  emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
    3-5  constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
    3-6  days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.