79R7617 MCK-F
By: Corte H.B. No. 2335
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to certain duties of state agencies with regard to members
of the United States armed forces and their dependents and the
communities in which they reside.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Subchapter B, Chapter 7, Education Code, is
amended by adding Section 7.029 to read as follows:
Sec. 7.029. TRANSITION ASSISTANCE FOR CHILDREN OF CERTAIN
MILITARY PERSONNEL. (a) The agency shall identify states and
countries from which a significant number of students are
transferring to school districts in this state following the
closure or realignment of a military base in the state or country
under the Defense Base Closure and Realignment Act of 1990 (10
U.S.C. Section 2687).
(b) The agency shall:
(1) provide appropriate transition assistance for
students transferring to school districts in this state from a
state or country identified under Subsection (a); and
(2) adopt appropriate education reciprocity
agreements with each state identified under Subsection (a), giving
priority to agreements with states generating the largest number of
transfer students.
SECTION 2. Subchapter B, Chapter 21, Education Code, is
amended by adding Section 21.0521 to read as follows:
Sec. 21.0521. CERTIFICATION OF CERTAIN DEPENDENTS OF
MILITARY PERSONNEL. (a) The board shall issue a temporary educator
certificate to a person who is a dependent of military personnel,
applies for a certificate under this section, and meets the
requirements for educator certification under Section 21.052. A
temporary certificate issued under this section expires on the
first anniversary of the date the certificate is issued. The board
shall charge the dependent a fee of not more than:
(1) $25 for the temporary certificate; and
(2) $50 for a review of the dependent's educator
certificate from another jurisdiction.
(b) The board may enter into a reciprocity agreement with a
person who is a dependent of military personnel and holds an
educator certificate issued by the United States Department of
Defense. The reciprocity agreement must provide that the dependent
is subject to the same requirements and benefits as a dependent
described by Subsection (a).
SECTION 3. Subchapter F, Chapter 401, Government Code, is
amended by adding Section 401.105 to read as follows:
Sec. 401.105. ASSISTANCE TO DEFENSE COMMUNITIES. The
office of the governor shall provide information to defense base
communities about economic development incentives and
opportunities offered by the state and how the communities may take
advantage of those opportunities.
SECTION 4. Chapter 486, Government Code, is amended by
adding Subchapter D to read as follows:
SUBCHAPTER D. STATE AGENCY RESPONSIBILITIES
Sec. 486.151. DEFINITIONS. In this subchapter:
(1) "Defense community" has the meaning assigned by
Section 397.001, Local Government Code.
(2) "State agency" means a department, commission,
board, office, authority, council, or other agency in the executive
branch of state government, including a university system or
institution of higher education as defined by Section 61.003,
Education Code.
Sec. 486.152. ASSESSMENT OF PROGRAM. Each state agency
shall assess its programs and determine the effect of these
programs on defense communities that have been adversely or
positively affected by defense base closure or realignment
decisions made in 2005.
Sec. 486.153. STATE AGENCY LIAISON. (a) A state agency
that determines that one or more of its programs has an effect on a
defense community as described by Section 486.152 shall appoint one
or more agency employees to serve as a liaison between the agency
and the defense community and base-transition representatives.
(b) Not later than January 1, 2006, an agency liaison under
Subsection (a) shall contact each defense community affected by a
base closure or realignment in 2005 and provide information
regarding agency services available to defense communities,
displaced workers, and incoming military service members and their
families, as applicable.
Sec. 486.154. REPORTS. A state agency described by Section
486.153 shall include in its annual report under Section 2101.0115
a description of:
(1) the steps the agency has taken to assist defense
communities and military service members and their dependents after
a base closure or realignment and the tangible results of these
efforts in each community; and
(2) the agency's ongoing efforts to assist defense
communities in the future.
Sec. 486.155. This subchapter expires September 1, 2007.
SECTION 5. Subchapter F, Chapter 301, Occupations Code, is
amended by adding Section 301.2595 to read as follows:
Sec. 301.2595. RECIPROCAL LICENSE FOR MILITARY MEMBERS OR
DEPENDENTS. On payment of a fee established by the board, the board
shall issue a license to practice as a registered nurse or
vocational nurse in this state by endorsement without examination
to an applicant who:
(1) holds a registration certificate as a registered
nurse or vocational nurse, as applicable, issued by another state
of the United States; and
(2) is on active duty or based in this state as a
member of the United States armed forces or is a dependent of a
member of the United States armed forces on active duty or based in
this state.
SECTION 6. (a) Subchapter G, Chapter 505, Occupations
Code, is amended by adding Section 505.3531 to read as follows:
Sec. 505.3531. HOURS OF REQUIRED SUPERVISION. (a) A person
who is a member of the United States armed forces or who is the
dependent of a person who is a member of the United States armed
forces is entitled to receive credit for any hours of required
supervision that are earned in another state or country in order to
fulfill the eligibility requirements provided under Section
505.353 or rules adopted under this chapter.
(b) The board shall accept the hours of required supervision
of a person who qualifies for credit under Subsection (a) without
requiring preapproval of the hours.
(b) The change in law made by this Act governing eligibility
of a person for a license under Chapter 505, Occupations Code,
applies only to a license application filed with the Texas State
Board of Social Worker Examiners under Chapter 505, Occupations
Code, as amended by this Act, on or after the effective date of this
Act. A license application filed before the effective date of this
Act is governed by the law in effect at the time the application was
filed, and the former law is continued in effect for that purpose.
SECTION 7. Subchapter D, Chapter 201, Transportation Code,
is amended by adding Section 201.210 to read as follows:
Sec. 201.210. COOPERATION WITH MILITARY COMMUNITIES. The
department shall initiate efforts to cooperate with a community in
which a military base is located to develop a long-range and a
short-range transportation plan in order to make the traffic flow
within the community more efficient and make the military
transportation needs of the base a priority. In determining the
transportation needs of the community, the department shall
consider:
(1) the input of members of the community; and
(2) the character and extent of the military
operations conducted at the base.
SECTION 8. This Act takes effect September 1, 2005.