BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 2965

By: Gonzales, Larry

Defense & Veterans' Affairs

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Currently, members of the Texas military forces are subject to frequent reassignments and position rotations. Concerns have been raised that this prevents long-term stability and development of institutional knowledge within key military administrative and planning positions. H.B. 2965 seeks to increase long-term stability and institutional knowledge in those positions.

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. 2965 amends the Government Code to authorize the adjutant general to hire service members of the Texas military forces to fill state military technician positions with the Texas Military Department as authorized by the General Appropriations Act. The bill establishes that a service member so hired is considered to be on extended state active duty service and entitles a service member called to extended state active duty service to the benefits and paid leave generally provided to state employees. The bill requires the adjutant general to establish the criteria for activating a service member under the bill's provisions and requires the department to maintain that criteria. The bill authorizes a state military technician position to have a limited term with a defined end date or to be a continuing position without a defined end date. The bill requires the department, as soon as practicable before the end of each state fiscal year, to notify each service member called to extended state active duty service whether the department will continue the service member's state military technician position for the next state fiscal year.

H.B. 2965 adds temporary provisions, set to expire August 31, 2017, to require the department to consult with the classification officer under the Position Classification Act to develop a state salary structure classification applicable to service members called to extended state active duty service, to authorize the salary structure classification to allow for automatic salary increases based on the service member's military rank and years of service, and to authorize the department to use that salary structure classification before it is adopted in the General Appropriations Act.

EFFECTIVE DATE

On passage, or, if the bill does not receive the necessary vote, September 1, 2015.