| |
| |
|
|
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
|
|
|
AN ACT
|
|
|
relating to the entitlement of spouses of certain veterans with |
|
|
disabilities to a veteran's employment preference. |
|
|
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
|
|
SECTION 1. Section 657.002, Government Code, is amended to |
|
|
read as follows: |
|
|
Sec. 657.002. INDIVIDUALS QUALIFIED FOR VETERAN'S |
|
|
EMPLOYMENT PREFERENCE. The following individuals qualify for a |
|
|
veteran's employment preference: |
|
|
(1) a veteran, including a veteran with a disability; |
|
|
(2) a veteran's surviving spouse who has not |
|
|
remarried; [and] |
|
|
(3) an orphan of a veteran if the veteran was killed |
|
|
while on active duty; and |
|
|
(4) the spouse of a veteran with a disability if the |
|
|
veteran: |
|
|
(A) has a total disability rating based either on |
|
|
having a service-connected disability with a disability rating of |
|
|
100 percent or on individual unemployability; and |
|
|
(B) is receiving Supplemental Security Income |
|
|
(SSI) benefits under 42 U.S.C. Section 1381 et seq. or Social |
|
|
Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits under 42 U.S.C. |
|
|
Section 401 et seq. |
|
|
SECTION 2. Section 657.003(b), Government Code, is amended |
|
|
to read as follows: |
|
|
(b) A state agency shall provide to an individual entitled |
|
|
to a veteran's employment preference for employment or appointment |
|
|
over other applicants for the same position who do not have a |
|
|
greater qualification a veteran's employment preference, in the |
|
|
following order of priority: |
|
|
(1) a veteran with a disability; |
|
|
(2) a veteran; |
|
|
(3) a spouse of a veteran with a disability as |
|
|
described by Section 657.002(4); |
|
|
(4) a veteran's surviving spouse who has not |
|
|
remarried; and |
|
|
(5) [(4)] an orphan of a veteran if the veteran was |
|
|
killed while on active duty. |
|
|
SECTION 3. Section 657.005(b), Government Code, is amended |
|
|
to read as follows: |
|
|
(b) An applicant who is either a veteran with a disability |
|
|
or a spouse of a veteran with a disability as described by Section |
|
|
657.002(4) shall furnish the official records to the individual |
|
|
whose duty is to fill the position. |
|
|
SECTION 4. The changes in law made by this Act apply only to |
|
|
an open position with a state agency for which the state agency |
|
|
begins accepting applications on or after the effective date of |
|
|
this Act. An open position with a state agency for which the state |
|
|
agency begins accepting applications before the effective date of |
|
|
this Act is governed by the law in effect on the date the state |
|
|
agency began accepting applications, and the former law is |
|
|
continued in effect for that purpose. |
|
|
SECTION 5. This Act takes effect September 1, 2019. |