BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 92

By: Guillen

Economic & Small Business Development

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

There are concerns that the state veteran's employment preference statute does not include the spouse of a disabled veteran. H.B. 92 seeks to help families of veterans by adding spouses of 100 percent disabled veterans to those qualified for the veteran's employment preference.

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. 92 amends the Government Code to include among the individuals who qualify for a veteran's employment preference in employment with or appointment to a state agency the spouse of a veteran with a disability who has a total disability rating based either on having a service-connected disability with a disability rating of 100 percent or on individual unemployability. The bill requires an applicant who is the spouse of such a veteran to furnish the official records to the individual whose duty is to fill the position and requires a state agency to prioritize the spouse of such a veteran for employment or appointment after a veteran with a disability or another veteran and before a veteran's surviving spouse who has not remarried or an orphan of a veteran who was killed while on active duty.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2017.