By: Alvarado, et al. S.B. No. 252
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to the licensing of certain veterans by the Texas
  Commission on Law Enforcement and the hiring of those veterans by
  political subdivisions.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  The heading to Chapter 370, Local Government
  Code, is amended to read as follows:
  CHAPTER 370.  MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS RELATING TO [MUNICIPAL AND
  COUNTY] HEALTH AND PUBLIC SAFETY OF MORE THAN ONE TYPE OF LOCAL
  GOVERNMENT
         SECTION 2.  Chapter 370, Local Government Code, is amended
  by adding Section 370.007 to read as follows:
         Sec. 370.007.  APPOINTING OR EMPLOYING CERTAIN VETERANS TO
  POSITION REQUIRING LICENSURE. (a)  In this section, "commission" 
  means the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement.
         (b)  Notwithstanding any other law, a political subdivision
  that appoints or employs a person to hold a position that requires
  the person to be licensed by the commission may appoint or employ a
  legal permanent resident of the United States to hold the position
  if the person is an honorably discharged veteran of the armed forces
  of the United States with at least two years of service before
  discharge and holds the appropriate license issued by the
  commission.
         (c)  A political subdivision may not appoint or employ a
  person under this section to hold a supervisory position until the
  person becomes a United States citizen.
         SECTION 3.  Subchapter G, Chapter 1701, Occupations Code, is
  amended by adding Section 1701.3095 to read as follows:
         Sec. 1701.3095.  LICENSING OF CERTAIN VETERANS WHO ARE LEGAL
  PERMANENT RESIDENTS. The commission shall issue a license the
  commission is authorized to issue to a person who is a legal
  permanent resident of the United States if the person:
               (1)  meets the requirements of this chapter and the
  commission's rules for the license;
               (2)  is an honorably discharged veteran of the armed
  forces of the United States with at least two years of service
  before discharge; and
               (3)  presents evidence satisfactory to the commission
  that the person has applied for United States citizenship.
         SECTION 4.  Section 1701.451(a), Occupations Code, is
  amended to read as follows:
         (a)  Before a law enforcement agency may hire a person
  licensed under this chapter, the agency must, on a form and in the
  manner prescribed by the commission:
               (1)  obtain the person's written consent for the agency
  to review the information required to be reviewed under this
  section;
               (2)  request from the commission and any other
  applicable person information required to be reviewed under this
  section; and
               (3)  submit to the commission confirmation that the
  agency, to the best of the agency's ability before hiring the
  person:
                     (A)  contacted each entity or individual
  necessary to obtain the information required to be reviewed under
  this section; and
                     (B)  except as provided by Subsection (b),
  obtained and reviewed as related to the person, as applicable:
                           (i)  personnel files and other employee
  records from each previous law enforcement agency employer,
  including the employment application submitted to the previous
  employer;
                           (ii)  employment termination reports
  maintained by the commission under this subchapter;
                           (iii)  service records maintained by the
  commission;
                           (iv)  proof that the person meets the
  minimum qualifications for enrollment in a training program under
  Section 1701.251(a);
                           (v)  a military veteran's United States
  Department of Defense Form DD-214 or other military discharge
  record;
                           (vi)  criminal history record information;
                           (vii)  information on pending warrants as
  available through the Texas Crime Information Center and National
  Crime Information Center;
                           (viii)  evidence of financial
  responsibility as required by Section 601.051, Transportation
  Code;
                           (ix)  a driving record from the Department
  of Public Safety;
                           (x)  proof of United States citizenship or,
  if the person is an honorably discharged veteran of the armed forces
  of the United States with at least two years of service before
  discharge, proof of legal permanent residence and proof that the
  person has applied for United States citizenship; and
                           (xi)  information on the person's background
  from at least three personal references and at least two
  professional references.
         SECTION 5.  Not later than December 1, 2023, the Texas
  Commission on Law Enforcement shall amend rules as necessary to
  comply with Section 1701.3095, Occupations Code, as added by this
  Act, and Section 1701.451, Occupations Code, as amended by this
  Act.
         SECTION 6.  Section 1701.451, Occupations Code, as amended
  by this Act, applies only to the hiring of a person by a law
  enforcement agency that occurs on or after December 1, 2023. The
  hiring of a person by a law enforcement agency that occurs before
  that date is governed by the law in effect immediately before the
  effective date of this Act, and the former law is continued in
  effect for that purpose.
         SECTION 7.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2023.