By: Solomons H.B. No. 3949
 
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to the requirement that applicants for certain licenses be
  eligible for employment in the United States.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Title 2, Occupations Code, is amended by adding
  Chapter 60 to read as follows:
  CHAPTER 60.  EMPLOYMENT ELIGIBILITY IN UNITED STATES REQUIRED FOR
  BUSINESS, OCCUPATIONAL, OR PROFESSIONAL LICENSE
         Sec. 60.001.  DEFINITIONS. In this chapter:
               (1)  "Employment eligibility" means eligibility for
  employment in the United States.
               (2)  "License" means a license that:
                     (A)  is issued by a licensing authority; and
                     (B)  an individual must obtain to engage in a
  particular business, occupation, or profession.
               (3)  "Licensing authority" means a department,
  commission, board, office, or other agency of this state or a
  political subdivision of this state that issues a license.
               (4)  "Verify" means to examine a document to determine
  if it appears to be valid on its face.
         Sec. 60.0015.  EXCEPTIONS. (a)  This chapter does not apply
  to a license issued under:
               (1)  Alcoholic Beverage Code, Chapter 63;
               (2)  Occupations Code, Chapter 155.005;
               (3)  Occupations Code, Chapter 155.006;
               (4)  Occupations Code, Chapter 1601.260;
               (5)  Occupations Code, Chapter 1602.266; or
               (6)  Occupations Code, Chapter 2052.
               (7)  an applicant for a horse or greyhound license
  under the authority of the Texas Racing Act Article 179(e),
  Vernon's Texas Civil Statutes.
         (b)  Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter,
  the Texas Board of Nursing may:
               (1)  allow an applicant for a license under Chapter 301
  to apply for the license and take an examination before
  establishing employment eligibility in the United States; and
               (2)  provisionally approve an application for a license
  under Chapter 301 submitted by an applicant who meets all the
  license requirements other than employment eligibility in the
  United States and delay issuing the license until the applicant
  establishes employment eligibility in the United States.
         (c)  Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, an
  applicant whose occupation requires a license from both a state and
  a political subdivision licensing authority, shall provide
  documents to prove employment eligibility to the state licensing
  authority only.
         Sec. 60.002.  EMPLOYMENT ELIGIBILITY REQUIRED.  (a)  An
  applicant for a license must establish employment eligibility if
  the applicant is:
               (1)  applying for an original license; or
               (2)  renewing a license and the applicant has not
  previously established employment eligibility.
         (b)  The licensing authority may not issue a license to an
  applicant or renew an applicant's license unless the applicant
  establishes employment eligibility as required by Subsection (a).
         Sec. 60.003.  DOCUMENTS THAT ESTABLISH EMPLOYMENT
  ELIGIBILITY.  (a)  To establish employment eligibility, an
  applicant shall provide to the licensing authority for inspection
  an original, copy, or a receipt of replacement for:
               (1)  one of the following documents:
                     (A)  a United States passport, unexpired or
  expired;
                     (B)  a Certificate of United States Citizenship;
                     (C)  a Certificate of Naturalization;
                     (D)  an unexpired foreign passport, with I-551
  stamp or attached Form I-94 indicating unexpired employment
  authorization;
                     (E)  a Permanent Resident Card or Alien
  Registration Receipt Card with photograph;
                     (F)  an unexpired Temporary Resident Card;
                     (G)  an unexpired Employment Authorization Card;
                     (H)  an unexpired reentry permit;
                     (I)  an unexpired Refugee Travel Document; or
                     (J)  an unexpired Employment Authorization
  Document issued by the United States Department of Homeland
  Security that contains a photograph; or
               (2)  two documents as follows:
                     (A)  one document listed in this paragraph:
                           (i)  a driver's license or identification
  card that is issued by a state or outlying possession of the United
  States and that contains the applicant's photograph or information,
  including the applicant's name, date of birth, sex, height, eye
  color, and address;
                           (ii)  an identification card that is issued
  by a federal, state, or local government agency and that contains
  the applicant's photograph or information, including the
  applicant's name, date of birth, sex, height, eye color, and
  address;
                           (iii)  a voter registration certificate;
                           (iv)  a United States military card or draft
  record;
                           (v)  a military dependent's identification
  card;
                           (vi)  a United States Coast Guard Merchant
  Mariner Card;
                           (vii)  a Native American tribal document; or
                           (viii)  a driver's license issued by a
  Canadian government authority; and
                     (B)  one document listed in this paragraph:
                           (i)  a social security card issued by the
  Social Security Administration, other than a card stating it is not
  valid for employment;
                           (ii)  a Certification of Birth Abroad issued
  by the United States Department of State;
                           (iii)  an original or certified copy of a
  birth certificate issued by a state, county, municipality, or
  outlying possession of the United States bearing an official seal;
                           (iv)  a Native American tribal document;
                           (v)  a United States Citizen Identification
  Card;
                           (vi)  an Identification Card for Use of
  Resident Citizen in the United States; or
                           (vii)  an unexpired Employment
  Authorization Document issued by the United States Department of
  Homeland Security.
         (b)  In addition to the documents required by Subsection (a),
  an applicant may establish employment eligibility by submitting to
  the licensing authority a document verifying that the applicant
  provided to their current or most recent employer authentic
  supporting documents to comply with a true and correct Form 1-9.
         (c)  Except as provided by this subsection, the documents
  required by Subsection (a) or (b) must be submitted with the license
  application.  An applicant who submits an application through the
  TexasOnline system or another electronic means shall submit the
  documents required under Subsection (a) or (b) not later than 30
  days after the date the application is submitted electronically.
         Sec. 60.004.  TEMPORARY LICENSE. (a) After an applicant has
  submitted all documents that will be required for a licensing
  authority to verify the applicant's employment eligibility and
  before the licensing authority verifies the applicant's employment
  eligibility, the licensing authority may issue a temporary license
  to the applicant.
         (b)  A temporary license under this section expires on the
  21st day after the date the temporary license is issued.
         (c)  The licensing authority shall determine the applicant's
  employment eligibility not later than the day the temporary license
  expires.
         Sec. 60.005.  AUDIT.  A licensing authority may audit some or
  all of the applications submitted to the licensing authority for
  compliance with this chapter, including documents used to establish
  employment eligibility.
         Sec. 60.006.  CONFIDENTIALITY. Information provided by an
  applicant under this chapter that is not subject to disclosure
  under other law is confidential and not subject to disclosure under
  Chapter 552, Government Code.
         Sec. 60.007.  NONDISCRIMINATION. A licensing authority
  shall implement this chapter without regard to an applicant's race,
  religion, sex, ethnicity, or national origin.
         SECTION 2.  The purpose of this Act is to assist in the
  enforcement of 8 U.S.C. Chapter 12.
         SECTION 3.  (a) In this section:
               (1)  "License" means a license, certificate,
  registration, permit, or other authorization that:
                     (A)  is issued by a licensing authority; and
                     (B)  an individual must obtain to engage in a
  particular business, occupation, or profession.
               (2)  "Licensing authority" means a department,
  commission, board, office, or other agency of this state or a
  political subdivision of this state that issues a license.
         (b)  Each licensing authority shall adopt rules under
  Chapter 60, Occupations Code, as added by this Act, not later than
  January 1, 2010.
         (c)  The change in law made by this Act applies only to an
  application for the issuance or renewal of a license that is filed
  with a licensing authority on or after March 1, 2010.  An
  application for the issuance or renewal of a license that is filed
  before March 1, 2010, is governed by the law in effect on the date
  the application was filed, and the former law is continued in effect
  for that purpose.
         SECTION 4.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2009.