BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 339

By: Farias

Defense & Veterans' Affairs

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Although state employees are entitled to certain types of leave for purposes related to military service, interested parties express lingering concern that the need for post-deployment leave or reintegration time for returning state employees who are veterans is not adequately addressed.  Those parties note that reintegration programs are beneficial to veterans returning to employment upon the post-deployment stages of military action. H.B. 339 seeks to provide veterans reemployed with a state agency with such leave and reintegration time.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.

ANALYSIS

H.B. 339 amends the Government Code to authorize a state employee who is reemployed by a state agency after military service to be granted leave to tend to matters relating to the employee's military service or reintegration into civilian life, including obtaining medical or mental health care and receiving employee assistance counseling. The bill limits such leave to a maximum of 15 days each fiscal year without a deduction in salary or loss of vacation time, sick leave, earned overtime credit, or state compensatory time. The bill authorizes the administrative head of a state agency to annually grant additional days of such leave as the administrative head determines appropriate for the employee.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2015.