88R18110 LRM-F
 
  By: Cook, Moody, Leach, Rosenthal, Anchía H.B. No. 1215
 
  Substitute the following for H.B. No. 1215:
 
  By:  Spiller C.S.H.B. No. 1215
 
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to consideration of criminal history of applicants for
  public employment.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Subtitle A, Title 6, Government Code, is amended
  by adding Chapter 620 to read as follows:
  CHAPTER 620.  CONSIDERATION OF CRIMINAL HISTORY OF APPLICANTS FOR
  PUBLIC EMPLOYMENT
         Sec. 620.001.  DEFINITION. In this chapter, "public
  employer" means:
               (1)  a board, a commission, an office, a department, or
  another agency in the executive, judicial, or legislative branch of
  state government, including an institution of higher education, as
  that term is defined by Section 61.003, Education Code; or
               (2)  a political subdivision of this state.
         Sec. 620.002.  NONAPPLICABILITY. This chapter does not
  apply to: 
               (1)  an independent school district; or
               (2)  any position with a law enforcement agency for
  which a license is required under Chapter 1701, Occupations Code. 
         Sec. 620.003.  CRIMINAL HISTORY OF APPLICANTS FOR PUBLIC
  EMPLOYMENT. (a)  Except as provided by Subsection (b), before
  making a conditional offer of employment to an applicant, a public
  employer may not:
               (1)  obtain criminal history record information
  relating to the applicant; or
               (2)  ask the applicant to disclose orally or in writing
  information regarding the applicant's criminal history, if any.
         (b)  Before making a conditional offer of employment, a
  public employer may:
               (1)  notify the applicant for a position that certain
  criminal convictions disqualify the applicant from consideration
  for the position under law or the employer's written policy; or
               (2)  include a question on an initial employment
  application form regarding whether an applicant has been convicted
  of a criminal offense that would disqualify the applicant from
  employment under law if the question is limited to offenses that
  result in disqualification.
         (c)  This section does not prohibit a public employer from
  obtaining criminal history record information after the public
  employer has made a conditional offer of employment to an
  applicant.
         SECTION 2.  The changes in law made by this Act apply only to
  an employment application submitted on or after the effective date
  of this Act. An employment application submitted before the
  effective date of this Act is governed by the law in effect on the
  date the application was submitted, and the former law is continued
  in effect for that purpose.
         SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2023.