By:  Maxey                                             H.B. No. 694
       73R1915 MLR-F
                                 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
    1-1                                AN ACT
    1-2  relating to discrimination in employment based on perceived
    1-3  disabilities.
    1-4        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
    1-5        SECTION 1.  Subdivisions (4) and (5), Section 2.01,
    1-6  Commission on Human Rights Act (Article 5221k, Vernon's Texas Civil
    1-7  Statutes), are amended to read as follows:
    1-8              (4)  "Disability" means a mental or physical impairment
    1-9  that substantially limits at least one major life activity, <or> a
   1-10  record of such a mental or physical impairment, or being regarded
   1-11  as having such a mental or physical impairment.
   1-12              (5)  "Disabled" means having a disability or being
   1-13  regarded as having a disability.  The term does not include:
   1-14                    (A)  a person with a current condition of
   1-15  addiction to the use of alcohol or any drug or illegal or federally
   1-16  controlled substance; or
   1-17                    (B)  a person with a currently communicable
   1-18  disease or infection, including but not limited to acquired immune
   1-19  deficiency syndrome or infection with the human immunodeficiency
   1-20  virus, that constitutes a direct threat to the health or safety of
   1-21  other persons or that makes the affected person unable to perform
   1-22  the duties of the person's employment.
   1-23              <(5)  "Disabled" means having a disability.>
   1-24        SECTION 2.  The importance of this legislation and the
    2-1  crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
    2-2  emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
    2-3  constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
    2-4  days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
    2-5  and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
    2-6  passage, and it is so enacted.