BILL ANALYSIS

S.B. 588

By: Lucio

Defense & Veterans' Affairs

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Interested parties contend that state agencies should play an active role in publicizing private employers that have adopted veteran's employment preference policies to encourage other employers to adopt similar policies. S.B. 588 seeks to facilitate this process by authorizing a private employer to notify the Texas Workforce Commission or the Texas Veterans Commission of their veteran's employment preference policies and requiring those agencies to make available on their respective websites a list of private employers who have provided such notice.

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

S.B. 588 amends the Labor Code to authorize a private employer to provide notice to the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) or the Texas Veterans Commission that the employer has adopted a voluntary veteran's employment preference policy. The bill requires the TWC to make available on its website a list of each private employer who has provided such notice.

S.B. 588 amends the Government Code to require the Texas Veterans Commission to make such a list available on its website.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2017.