By:  Willis                                            H.B. No. 216
       73R1630 MJW-D
                                 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 are
   1-23  competent and fully qualified, shall be entitled to preference in
   1-24  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.  An employing entity subject to this Act shall file
    2-9  quarterly with the Texas Veterans Commission a report that states:
   2-10              (1)  the percentage of the total number of employees
   2-11  hired during the reporting period who are persons entitled to
   2-12  preference under this Act; and
   2-13              (2)  the percentage of the total number of the entity's
   2-14  employees who are persons entitled to preference under this Act.
   2-15        SECTION 3.  An employing entity subject to Section 9, Chapter
   2-16  357, Acts of the 49th Legislature, Regular Session, 1945 (Article
   2-17  4413(31), Vernon's Texas Civil Statutes), as added by this Act,
   2-18  shall file the initial required report not later than December 31,
   2-19  1993, and shall file the second required report not later than
   2-20  March 31, 1994.
   2-21        SECTION 4.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1993.
   2-22        SECTION 5.  The importance of this legislation and the
   2-23  crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
   2-24  emergency   and   an   imperative   public   necessity   that   the
   2-25  constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
   2-26  days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.