By Thompson                                     H.B. No. 1517

      75R6552 PB-D                           

                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-1                                   AN ACT

 1-2     relating to the prohibition of certain discrimination in

 1-3     applications for employment and employment interviews.

 1-4           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

 1-5           SECTION 1.  Subchapter B, Chapter 21, Labor Code, is amended

 1-6     by adding Section 21.0515 to read as follows:

 1-7           Sec. 21.0515.  PROHIBITED DISCRIMINATION IN EMPLOYMENT

 1-8     APPLICATIONS AND INTERVIEWS.  (a)  An employer commits an unlawful

 1-9     employment practice if the employer, as a condition for

1-10     consideration for employment:

1-11                 (1)  requires an applicant for employment to disclose

1-12     in an application form the sexual orientation of the applicant; or

1-13                 (2)  in the course of an interview with an applicant

1-14     for employment, requests the applicant to disclose the sexual

1-15     orientation of the applicant.

1-16           (b)  This section does not apply to:

1-17                 (1)  an organization that meets the standards for

1-18     qualification as a religious organization under Section 11.20, Tax

1-19     Code; or

1-20                 (2)  a school, institution of higher education, or

1-21     other educational institution that:

1-22                       (A)  is not described by Section 11.20, Tax Code,

1-23     but that is wholly or substantially controlled, managed, owned, or

1-24     supported by an organization described by Subdivision (1); or

 2-1                       (B)  has a curriculum directed toward the

 2-2     propagation of a particular religion.

 2-3           SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1997.

 2-4           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the

 2-5     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

 2-6     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

 2-7     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

 2-8     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.