By Barrientos S.B. No. 646
74R4016 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. Sections 657.002(a) and (b), Government Code, are
1-6 amended to read as follows:
1-7 (a) A veteran <or the widow or orphan of a veteran>
1-8 qualifies for a veteran's employment preference if the veteran:
1-9 (1) <served in the military during:>
1-10 <(A) the Spanish-American War;>
1-11 <(B) the Philippine Insurrection;>
1-12 <(C) the China Relief Expedition;>
1-13 <(D) World War I;>
1-14 <(E) World War II;>
1-15 <(F) any other military conflict in which the
1-16 United States was a participant before June 18, 1945;>
1-17 <(G) the Korean War after June 24, 1950; or>
1-18 <(H) the Vietnam conflict after July, 1953;>
1-19 <(2)> was honorably discharged from military service;
1-20 and
1-21 (2) <(3)> is competent.
1-22 (b) This chapter does not apply to a veteran who<:>
1-23 <(1) was a conscientious objector at the time of the
1-24 veteran's discharge from military service; or>
2-1 <(2)> is receiving or entitled to receive military
2-2 retirement pay, other than disability retirement pay, from the
2-3 United States.
2-4 SECTION 2. Chapter 657, Government Code, is amended by
2-5 adding Section 657.007 to read as follows:
2-6 Sec. 657.007. REPORTING REQUIREMENTS. (a) A public entity
2-7 shall file quarterly with the Texas Veterans Commission a report
2-8 that states:
2-9 (1) the percentage of the total number of employees
2-10 hired by the entity during the reporting period who are persons
2-11 entitled to a preference under this chapter; and
2-12 (2) the percentage of the total number of the entity's
2-13 employees who are persons entitled to a preference under this
2-14 chapter.
2-15 (b) The Texas Veterans Commission shall file annually with
2-16 the legislature a report that compiles and analyzes information
2-17 that the commission receives from public entities under Subsection
2-18 (a).
2-19 SECTION 3. To the extent possible using existing records,
2-20 each public entity subject to Chapter 657, Government Code, shall
2-21 compile and send to the Texas Veterans Commission not later than
2-22 December 31, 1995, the initial report described by Section
2-23 657.007(a) of that chapter, as added by Section 2 of this Act, for
2-24 the quarterly period ending September 30, 1995, and shall file the
2-25 second required report not later than March 31, 1996. Based on
2-26 information received on or before December 31, 1995, the Texas
2-27 Veterans Commission shall file an initial report under that section
3-1 not later than March 31, 1996.
3-2 SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 1995.
3-3 SECTION 5. The importance of this legislation and the
3-4 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
3-5 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
3-6 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
3-7 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.