BILL ANALYSIS

C.S.H.B. 1340

By: Blanco

Defense & Veterans' Affairs

Committee Report (Substituted)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Interested parties note that the Texas Workforce Commission serves as the central processing agency for certain job vacancies and placements with the state and that this service is performed as an effort to increase employment opportunities, including opportunities for veterans of the armed forces. It is further noted that in 2014 only a small percentage of state employees were veterans, and it has been suggested that including in state job postings information about military experience applicable to the posted job might increase the number of veterans hired. C.S.H.B. 1340 seeks to improve the opportunities for veterans to obtain jobs with the state.

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

C.S.H.B. 1340 amends the Government Code to require the classification officer in the office of the state auditor, each state fiscal biennium, to research and identify the applicable occupational specialty codes, defined by the bill as codes, classifications, designators, or ratings used by a branch of the U.S. military to identify a specific job, including military occupational specialty codes, air force specialty codes, navy enlisted classification systems, or similar coding or classification systems, that correspond to each position contained in the state's position classification plan and to report the findings in the manner provided by the Position Classification Act.  The bill authorizes the classification officer to request the assistance of the Texas Veterans Commission in performing a duty required under the bill's provisions relating to such a report and requires the commission to provide the requested assistance.

C.S.H.B. 1340 requires a state agency to include on all forms and notices related to a state agency employment opening the applicable occupational specialty codes that correspond to the employment opening if the duties of the available position correlate with an occupational specialty assigned such a code and requires a form prescribed by the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) for information from state agencies necessary for the TWC to serve as a central processing agency for state agency job opportunities in Travis County to include space for a state agency to list such an occupational specialty code.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2015.

COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL AND SUBSTITUTE

While C.S.H.B. 1340 may differ from the original in minor or nonsubstantive ways, the following comparison is organized and formatted in a manner that indicates the substantial differences between the introduced and committee substitute versions of the bill.

INTRODUCED	HOUSE COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE
No equivalent provision.	SECTION 1.  Subchapter C, Chapter 654, Government Code, is amended by adding Section 654.0375 to read as follows: Sec. 654.0375.  OCCUPATIONAL SPECIALTY CODE IDENTIFICATION; REPORT.  (a)  In this section, "occupational specialty code" means a code, classification, designator, or rating used by a branch of the armed forces of the United States to identify a specific job.  The term includes a military occupational specialty code, an air force specialty code, a navy enlisted classification system, or a similar coding or classification system. (b)  Each state fiscal biennium the classification officer shall research and identify the applicable occupational specialty codes that correspond to each position contained in the state's position classification plan. (c)  The classification officer shall report the findings under Subsection (b) in the manner provided by Section 654.037(a)(2). (d)  The classification officer may request the assistance of the Texas Veterans Commission in performing a duty required under this section.  The Texas Veterans Commission shall provide the requested assistance.
SECTION 1.  Subchapter A, Chapter 656, Government Code, is amended by adding Section 656.002 to read as follows: Sec. 656.002.  MILITARY OCCUPATIONAL SPECIALTY CODES ON NOTICES OF EMPLOYMENT OPENINGS.  A state agency shall include on all forms and notices related to a state agency employment opening the military occupational specialty code that corresponds to the employment opening if the duties of the available position correlate with a military occupational specialty.	SECTION 2.  Substantially similar to introduced version.
SECTION 2.  Section 656.023, Government Code, is amended to read as follows: Sec. 656.023.  JOB INFORMATION FORMS.  (a)  The commission shall prescribe the forms for information from state agencies necessary for the commission to serve as a central processing agency for state agency job opportunities in Travis County. (b)  A form prescribed by the commission under Subsection (a) must include a space for a state agency to list a military occupational specialty code as provided by Section 656.002.	SECTION 3.  Substantially similar to introduced version.
SECTION 3.  Section 656.002, Government Code, as added by this Act, applies only to a form or notice relating to an employment opening published or delivered on or after the effective date of this Act.  A form or notice published or delivered before that date is governed by the law in effect on the date the form or notice was published or delivered, and the former law is continued in effect for that purpose.	SECTION 4. Same as introduced version.
SECTION 4.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2015.	SECTION 5. Same as introduced version.