Guillen Bill Raises Veteran Spouse Hiring Preference Bar To 100 Percent

The text as introduced · 521 words

90R174 LRM-F

By: Guillen
H.B. No. 446

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to a state employment preference for certain spouses or

individuals who reside with 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 MILITARY

EMPLOYMENT PREFERENCE. The following individuals qualify for a

military employment preference:

(1) a veteran, including a veteran with a disability;

(2) a veteran's surviving spouse who has not

remarried;

(3) an orphan of a veteran if the veteran was killed

while on active duty;

(4) the spouse of a member of the United States armed

forces or Texas National Guard serving on active duty; [ and ]

(5) 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 100 [ at least 70 ] percent or

on individual unemployability ; and

(6) an individual who resides in a household with a

veteran if the individual is the primary source of income for the

household and the veteran:

(A) has a total disability rating based either on

having a service-connected disability with a disability rating of

100 percent or on individual unemployability; and

(B) is receiving Supplemental Security Income

(SSI) benefits under 42 U.S.C. Section 1381 et seq. or Social

Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits under 42 U.S.C.

Section 401 et seq .

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 military employment preference for employment or appointment

over other applicants for the same position who do not have a

greater qualification a military employment preference, in the

following order of priority:

(1) a veteran with a disability;

(2) a veteran;

(3) a spouse described by Section 657.002(4) or (5);

(4) a veteran's surviving spouse who has not

remarried; [ and ]

(5) an orphan of a veteran if the veteran was killed

while on active duty ; and

(6) an individual described by Section 657.002(6) .

SECTION 3. Section 657.005(b), Government Code, is amended

to read as follows:

(b) An applicant who is a veteran with a disability , a

spouse of a veteran as described by Section 657.002(5), or an

individual as described by Section 657.002(6), shall furnish the

official records to the individual whose duty is to fill the

position.

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, 2027.