By Coleman H.B. No. 909 76R4629 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) In this section, "religious 1-9 organization" means: 1-10 (1) an organization that meets the standards for 1-11 qualification as a religious organization under Section 11.20, Tax 1-12 Code; or 1-13 (2) a school, institution of higher education, or 1-14 other educational institution that is not described by Subdivision 1-15 (1) but that: 1-16 (A) is wholly or substantially controlled, 1-17 managed, owned, or supported by an organization described by 1-18 Subdivision (1); or 1-19 (B) has a curriculum directed toward the 1-20 propagation of a particular religion. 1-21 (b) An employer commits an unlawful employment practice if 1-22 the employer: 1-23 (1) as a condition for consideration for employment: 1-24 (A) requires an applicant for employment to 2-1 disclose in an application form the sexual orientation of the 2-2 applicant; or 2-3 (B) in the course of an interview with an 2-4 applicant for employment, requests the applicant to disclose the 2-5 sexual orientation of the applicant; or 2-6 (2) asks a person other than the applicant, including 2-7 a former employer of the applicant, to offer an assessment of the 2-8 applicant's genuine or perceived sexual orientation. 2-9 (c) Except as provided by this subsection, this section does 2-10 not apply to a religious organization. This section does apply to 2-11 activities conducted for profit by a religious organization to the 2-12 extent that those activities are subject to federal taxation under 2-13 Section 511(a), Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as that section 2-14 existed on September 1, 1999. 2-15 SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 1999. 2-16 SECTION 3. The importance of this legislation and the 2-17 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 2-18 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 2-19 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 2-20 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.