By: Menéndez, et al. S.B. No. 1307
 
  (King of Taylor)
 
   
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to occupational licenses for military service members,
  military veterans, and military spouses.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  The heading to Chapter 55, Occupations Code, as
  amended by Chapters 66 (S.B. 162) and 348 (H.B. 2254), Acts of the
  83rd Legislature, Regular Session, 2013, is reenacted to read as
  follows:
  CHAPTER 55. LICENSING OF MILITARY SERVICE MEMBERS, MILITARY
  VETERANS, AND MILITARY SPOUSES
         SECTION 2.  Section 55.001, Occupations Code, is amended to
  read as follows:
         Sec. 55.001.  DEFINITIONS. In this chapter:
               (1)  "Active duty" means current full-time military
  service in the armed forces of the United States or active duty
  military service as a member of the Texas military forces, as
  defined by Section 437.001, Government Code, or similar military
  service of another state.
               (2)  "Armed forces of the United States" means the
  army, navy, air force, coast guard, or marine corps of the United
  States or a reserve unit of one of those branches of the armed
  forces.
               (3)  "License" means a license, certificate,
  registration, permit, or other form of authorization required by
  law or a state agency rule that must be obtained by an individual to
  engage in a particular business.
               (4) [(1-a)]  "Military service member" means a person
  who is on active duty [currently serving in the armed forces of the
  United States, in a reserve component of the armed forces of the
  United States, including the National Guard, or in the state
  military service of any state].
               (5) [(1-b)]  "Military spouse" means a person who is
  married to a military service member [who is currently on active
  duty].
               (6) [(1-c)]  "Military veteran" means a person who has
  served on active duty and who was discharged or released from active
  duty [in the army, navy, air force, marine corps, or coast guard of
  the United States, or in an auxiliary service of one of those
  branches of the armed forces].
               (7) [(2)]  "State agency" means a department, board,
  bureau, commission, committee, division, office, council, or
  agency of the state.
         SECTION 3.  Section 55.002, Occupations Code, is amended to
  read as follows:
         Sec. 55.002.  EXEMPTION FROM PENALTY FOR FAILURE TO RENEW
  LICENSE. A state agency that issues a license shall adopt rules to
  exempt an individual who holds a license issued by the agency from
  any increased fee or other penalty imposed by the agency for failing
  to renew the license in a timely manner if the individual
  establishes to the satisfaction of the agency that the individual
  failed to renew the license in a timely manner because the
  individual was serving as a military service member [on active duty
  in the United States armed forces serving outside this state].
         SECTION 4.  Section 55.003, Occupations Code, is amended to
  read as follows:
         Sec. 55.003.  EXTENSION OF LICENSE RENEWAL [CERTAIN]
  DEADLINES FOR [ACTIVE DUTY] MILITARY SERVICE MEMBERS [PERSONNEL].
  A military service member [person] who holds a license[, is a member
  of the state military forces or a reserve component of the armed
  forces of the United States, and is ordered to active duty by proper
  authority] is entitled to two years of [an] additional [amount of]
  time[, equal to the total number of years or parts of years that the
  person serves on active duty,] to complete:
               (1)  any continuing education requirements; and
               (2)  any other requirement related to the renewal of
  the military service member's [person's] license.
         SECTION 5.  Section 55.004, Occupations Code, is amended to
  read as follows:
         Sec. 55.004.  ALTERNATIVE LICENSING [LICENSE PROCEDURE] FOR
  MILITARY SERVICE MEMBERS, MILITARY VETERANS, AND MILITARY SPOUSES
  [SPOUSE]. (a)  A state agency that issues a license shall adopt
  rules for the issuance of the license to an applicant who is a
  military service member, military veteran, or military spouse [the
  spouse of a person serving on active duty as a member of the armed
  forces of the United States] and:
               (1)  holds a current license issued by another
  jurisdiction [state] that has licensing requirements that are
  substantially equivalent to the requirements for the license in
  this state; or
               (2)  within the five years preceding the application
  date held the license in this state [that expired while the
  applicant lived in another state for at least six months].
         (b)  [Rules adopted under this section must include
  provisions to allow alternative demonstrations of competency to
  meet the requirements for obtaining the license.
         [(c)]  The executive director of a state agency may waive any
  prerequisite to obtaining a license for an applicant described by
  Subsection (a) after reviewing the applicant's credentials [issue a
  license by endorsement in the same manner as the Texas Commission of
  Licensing and Regulation under Section 51.404 to an applicant
  described by Subsection (a)].
         (c)  In addition to the rules adopted under Subsection (a), a
  state agency that issues a license may adopt rules that would
  establish alternate methods for a military service member, military
  veteran, or military spouse to demonstrate competency to meet the
  requirements for obtaining the license.
         SECTION 6.  The heading to Section 55.005, Occupations Code,
  as added by Chapter 66 (S.B. 162), Acts of the 83rd Legislature,
  Regular Session, 2013, is amended to read as follows:
         Sec. 55.005.  EXPEDITED LICENSE PROCEDURE FOR MILITARY
  SERVICE MEMBERS, MILITARY VETERANS, AND MILITARY SPOUSES.
         SECTION 7.  Section 55.005(a), Occupations Code, as added by
  Chapter 66 (S.B. 162), Acts of the 83rd Legislature, Regular
  Session, 2013, is amended to read as follows:
         (a)  A state agency that issues a license shall, as soon as
  practicable after a military service member, military veteran, or
  military spouse files an application for a license:
               (1)  process the application; and
               (2)  issue the [a] license to an [a qualified military
  spouse] applicant who qualifies for the license under Section
  55.004 [holds a current license issued by another jurisdiction that
  has licensing requirements that are substantially equivalent to the
  licensing requirements in this state].
         SECTION 8.  Section 55.005, Occupations Code, as added by
  Chapter 348 (H.B. 2254), Acts of the 83rd Legislature, Regular
  Session, 2013, is redesignated as Section 55.008, Occupations Code,
  and amended to read as follows:
         Sec. 55.008 [55.005].  APPRENTICESHIP REQUIREMENTS FOR
  APPLICANT WITH MILITARY EXPERIENCE.  (a)  Notwithstanding any
  other law, if an apprenticeship is required for a [an occupational]
  license issued by a state agency, the state agency shall credit
  verified military service, training, or education that is relevant
  to the occupation toward the apprenticeship requirements for the
  license.
         (b)  The state agency shall adopt rules necessary to
  implement this section.
         SECTION 9.  The heading to Section 55.006, Occupations Code,
  is amended to read as follows:
         Sec. 55.006.  RENEWAL OF EXPEDITED LICENSE ISSUED TO
  MILITARY SERVICE MEMBER, MILITARY VETERAN, OR MILITARY SPOUSE.
         SECTION 10.  Chapter 55, Occupations Code, is amended by
  adding Section 55.009 to read as follows:
         Sec. 55.009.  NOTICE OF CHAPTER PROVISIONS. A state agency
  that issues a license shall prominently post a notice on the home
  page of the agency's Internet website describing the provisions of
  this chapter that are available to military service members,
  military veterans, and military spouses.
         SECTION 11.  The changes in law made by this Act apply only
  to an application for an occupational license or renewal of an
  occupational license filed on or after January 1, 2016.  An
  application for a license or for license renewal filed before
  January 1, 2016, is governed by the law in effect immediately before
  the effective date of this Act, and that law is continued in effect
  for that purpose.
         SECTION 12.  To the extent of any conflict, this Act prevails
  over another Act of the 84th Legislature, Regular Session, 2015,
  relating to nonsubstantive additions to and corrections in enacted
  codes.
         SECTION 13.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2015.