BILL ANALYSIS

C.S.H.B. 1208

By: Guillen

Defense & Veterans' Affairs

Committee Report (Substituted)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Transitioning back to civilian life and finding a job is a difficult task for many military veterans and their families, and is exceptionally challenging for a veteran with a disability. To assist veterans in this transition, the state employs a veteran preference system among similarly qualified candidates through which a veteran is granted an employment preference for an open position in state government over a similarly qualified nonveteran. The system provides preferences for veterans, veterans with disabilities, and unmarried spouses of deceased veterans, but it does not include the primary breadwinner for the household of a totally disabled veteran. C.S.H.B. 1208 seeks to address this issue by extending eligibility for the employment preference system to individuals serving as the primary source of income for veterans who are totally disabled.

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

C.S.H.B. 1208 amends the Government Code to entitle an individual who resides in a household with a veteran to a veteran's employment preference for purposes of employment with or appointment to an applicable state agency if the individual is the primary source of income for the household and the veteran has a total disability rating and is receiving Supplemental Security Income or Social Security Disability Insurance. The bill, with respect to the individual entitled to the employment preference, does the following:

· grants the individual priority for that preference after a veteran, with or without a disability, and a qualifying surviving spouse or qualifying orphan of a veteran; and

· requires the individual, if applying for an appointment or employment, to furnish the official records to the individual whose duty it is to fill the position.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2021.

COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL AND SUBSTITUTE

While C.S.H.B. 1208 may differ from the original in minor or nonsubstantive ways, the following summarizes the substantial differences between the introduced and committee substitute versions of the bill.

The substitute changes the individual entitled to the employment preference under the bill's provisions from a child of a veteran with a disability who is the primary source of income for the veteran's household to an individual who resides in a household with a totally disabled veteran receiving certain federal benefits and who is the primary source of income for the household. The substitute makes the same change with respect to the assignment of priority for the employment preference and with respect to the requirement to furnish official records.