By: Parker  S.B. No. 1376
         (In the Senate - Filed March 1, 2023; March 16, 2023, read
  first time and referred to Committee on Veteran Affairs;
  April 5, 2023, reported favorably by the following vote:  Yeas 6,
  Nays 0; April 5, 2023, sent to printer.)
Click here to see the committee vote
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
 
  relating to a state employment preference for certain spouses of
  veterans with a disability.
         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 if the spouse is the
  primary source of income for the household and the veteran has a
  total disability rating based either on having a service-connected
  disability with a disability rating of at least 70 percent or on
  individual unemployability.
         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 veteran's surviving spouse who has not
  remarried; [and]
               (4)  an orphan of a veteran if the veteran was killed
  while on active duty; and
               (5)  the spouse of a veteran with a disability as
  described by Section 657.002(4) if the spouse is the primary source
  of income for the veteran's household.
         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
  as described by Section 657.002(4) or the spouse of a veteran with a
  disability as described by Section 657.002(4) if the spouse is the
  primary source of income for the veteran's household shall furnish
  the official records to the individual whose duty is to fill the
  position in a form and manner that demonstrates to the satisfaction
  of the individual that the applicant is entitled to the employment
  preference.
         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, 2023.
 
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