BILL ANALYSIS

C.S.H.B. 1457

By: Blanco

Defense & Veterans' Affairs

Committee Report (Substituted)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Certain public entities and public works are required to give preference in hiring to individuals entitled to a veteran's employment preference until a certain percentage of the employees of the entity are selected from individuals given that preference. Interested parties note the state's shortcomings in this regard and point to statistics showing that, within the last several years, the number of state employees has increased but the percentage of state employees who are veterans has decreased. C.S.H.B. 1457 seeks to address this issue and increase the percentage of veterans within state government.

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. 1457 amends the Government Code to require each state agency with more than 500 full-time employees, using existing resources and employees, to designate, not later than December 1, 2015, a full-time employee of the agency to serve as the veterans liaison for the agency. The bill establishes that the employee's duties serving as the veterans liaison are secondary to the employee's primary duties for the agency. The bill requires the veterans liaison to stay informed on trends and developments in hiring veterans for positions within the agency and of services available to veterans within and outside the agency, to recruit veterans for open positions within the agency, and to serve as the contact for veterans within and outside the agency to provide information about the agency and veterans employment and services available within and outside the agency. The bill defines "state agency" for such purposes as a board, commission, council, committee, department, office, agency, or other governmental entity in the executive, legislative, or judicial branch of state government, including an institution of higher education.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2015.

COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL AND SUBSTITUTE

While C.S.H.B. 1457 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
SECTION 1.  The heading to Chapter 657, Government Code, is amended to read as follows: CHAPTER 657. VETERAN'S EMPLOYMENT PREFERENCES; VETERAN'S LIAISON	SECTION 1.  Substantially the same as introduced version.
SECTION 2.  Chapter 657, Government Code, is amended by adding Section 657.011 to read as follows: Sec. 657.011.  VETERAN'S LIAISON. (a) In this section: (1)  "State agency" means a board, commission, council, committee, department, office, agency, or other governmental entity in the executive, legislative, or judicial branch of state government, including an institution of higher education as defined by Section 61.003, Education Code. (2)  "Veteran" has the meaning assigned by Section 657.002(c). (b)  Each state agency with more than 100 full-time employees, using existing resources, shall designate a full-time employee of the agency to serve as the veteran's liaison for the agency. (c)  The veteran's liaison shall: (1)  stay informed on trends and developments in  hiring veterans for positions within the agency and of services available to veterans within and outside the agency; (2)  recruit veterans for open positions within the  agency; and (3)  serve as the contact for veterans within and outside the agency to provide information about the agency and veteran's employment and services available within and outside the agency.	SECTION 2.  Chapter 657, Government Code, is amended by adding Section 657.011 to read as follows: Sec. 657.011.  VETERANS LIAISON. (a) In this section: (1)  "State agency" means a board, commission, council, committee, department, office, agency, or other governmental entity in the executive, legislative, or judicial branch of state government, including an institution of higher education as defined by Section 61.003, Education Code. (2)  "Veteran" has the meaning assigned by Section 657.002(c). (b)  Each state agency with more than 500 full-time employees, using existing resources and employees, shall designate a full-time employee of the agency to serve as the veterans liaison for the agency. The employee's duties serving as the veterans liaison are secondary to the employee's primary duties for the agency. (c)  The veterans liaison shall: (1)  stay informed on trends and developments in  hiring veterans for positions within the agency and of services available to veterans within and outside the agency; (2)  recruit veterans for open positions within the  agency; and (3)  serve as the contact for veterans within and outside the agency to provide information about the agency and veterans employment and services available within and outside the agency.
SECTION 3.  Not later than December 1, 2015, each state agency with more than 100 full-time employees shall designate a full-time employee of the agency to serve as the veteran's liaison for the agency as required by Section 657.011, Government Code, as added by this Act.	SECTION 3.  Not later than December 1, 2015, each state agency with more than 500 full-time employees shall designate a full-time employee of the agency to serve as the veterans liaison for the agency as required by Section 657.011, Government Code, as added by this Act.
SECTION 4.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2015.	SECTION 4. Same as introduced version.