BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 2740

By: Lopez

Defense & Veterans' Affairs

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Over the past several legislative sessions, the Texas Legislature has passed numerous bills related to occupational licensing for military service members, military spouses, and veterans. It has been reported that individuals who would benefit from these bills have difficulty finding the applicable information, as it is disjointed and fragmented across various state agency websites. H.B. 2740 seeks to ensure occupational licensing information for military service members, military spouses, and veterans is posted in easily accessible locations on state agency websites and is accessible from a single page of links in the veterans portal maintained by the Texas Veterans Commission.

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. 2740 amends the Occupations Code to require a state agency that issues an occupational license to post on the agency's website a list of licenses issued by the agency with a description of the type of business or occupation covered by each license, along with the description of licensing provisions applicable to military service members, military veterans, and military spouses that the agency must currently post. The bill gives the agency the option to post that information prominently on the home page of the agency's website or on a single page of the agency's website with a prominent link to that page on the home page. The bill requires the agency to provide to the Texas Veterans Commission (TVC) a direct link to the information and requires the TVC to post the links on a single page of the Texas Veterans Portal.

H.B. 2740 requires agencies to post the required information and provide the required links to the TVC not later than December 1, 2021, and requires the TVC to post those links on the portal not later than January 1, 2022.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2021.