BILL ANALYSIS

S.B. 1200

By: Campbell

Licensing & Administrative Procedures

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Concerns have been raised regarding barriers that are often faced by military spouses when they try to reenter the workforce after moving to Texas. S.B. 1200 seeks to ease the burden on military families relocated to Texas by authorizing certain military spouses who are licensed in good standing in another state to engage in a business or occupation in Texas without obtaining the applicable license.

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 rulemaking authority is expressly granted to a state agency that issues an occupational license in SECTION 1 of this bill.

ANALYSIS

S.B. 1200 amends the Occupations Code to authorize a military spouse to engage in a business or occupation for which a license is required without obtaining the applicable license if the spouse is currently licensed in good standing by another jurisdiction that has licensing requirements that are substantially equivalent to the requirements for the license in Texas. The bill requires the military spouse to do the following before engaging in the practice of the business or occupation:

· notify the applicable state agency of the spouse's intent to practice in Texas;

· submit to the agency proof of the spouse's residency in Texas and a copy of the spouse's military identification card; and

· receive from the agency confirmation that the agency has verified the spouse's license in the other jurisdiction and that the spouse is authorized to engage in the business or occupation in accordance with the bill's provisions.

The bill requires the military spouse to comply with all other laws and regulations applicable to the business or occupation in Texas. The bill authorizes the military spouse to engage in the business or occupation only for the period during which the military service member to whom the military spouse is married is stationed at a military installation in Texas but not to exceed three years from the date the spouse receives the requisite confirmation from the agency.

S.B. 1200 requires a state agency that issues an occupational license to adopt rules to implement the bill's provisions not later than December 1, 2019. The rules must establish a process for the agency to identify, with respect to each type of license issued by the agency, the jurisdictions that have licensing requirements that are substantially equivalent to the requirements for the license in Texas and to verify that a military spouse is licensed in good standing in such a jurisdiction.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2019.