AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT

 

Improving a military spouse's well-being positively impacts retention of service members, and ultimately, the overall readiness of our armed forces.  Military spouses continually face a variety of challenges because of their husband's or wife's military service.  Occupational licensure is complex because each state has a board that oversees the requirements of each occupation.  Difficulty obtaining occupational licenses impedes a military spouse's ability to find employment when he or she relocates to a new state.

 

S.B. 1733 allows for alternate demonstrations of competency to meet license requirements, establishes a period during which an otherwise qualified person may seek employment or practice with an expired license, and authorizes the director of the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation to issue licenses by endorsement.

 

As proposed, S.B. 1733 amends current law relating to the occupational licensing of spouses of members of the military.

 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

 

Rulemaking authority is expressly granted to a state agency that issues a license in SECTION 2 (Section 55.004, Occupations Code) of this bill.

 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

 

SECTION 1.  Amends the heading to Chapter 55, Occupations Code, to read as follows:

 

CHAPTER 55.  LICENSE WHILE ON MILITARY DUTY

 

SECTION 2.  Amends Chapter 55, Occupations Code, by adding Section 55.004, as follows:

 

Sec.  55.004.  ALTERNATIVE LICENSE PROCEDURE FOR MILITARY SPOUSE.  (a)  Requires a state agency that issues a license to adopt rules for the issuance of a license to an applicant who is the spouse of a person serving on active duty as a member of the armed forces of the United States.

 

(b)  Requires that rules adopted under this section include provisions to allow:

 

(1)  alternative demonstrations of competency to meet the requirements for obtaining the license; and

 

(2)  a period during which an otherwise qualified person is authorized to seek employment or practice with an expired license.

 

(c)  Authorizes the executive director of the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation to issue a license by endorsement in the same manner as the Texas Commission of Licensing and Regulation under Section 51.404 (Endorsement; Reciprocity) to an applicant described by Subsection (a).

 

SECTION 3.  Effective date: upon passage or September 1, 2011.