BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 864

By: Blanco

Defense & Veterans' Affairs

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Informed observers have raised concerns that many state agencies have failed to achieve the goals set out in recent legislation with regard to the benchmark for staffing veterans as a minimum percentage of every state agency's workforce. H.B. 864 seeks to increase the percentage of veterans within state government by requiring certain state agencies to designate an agency employee as a veterans liaison to recruit veterans for open positions within the agency, among other related duties.

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. 864 amends the Government Code to require each state agency with more than 500 full-time employees, using existing resources and employees, to designate a full-time employee of the agency not later than December 1, 2017, to serve as the veterans liaison 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 veteran's employment and services available within and outside the agency. 

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2017.