| 5 | 3 | | |
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| 6 | 4 | | |
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| 7 | 5 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 8 | 6 | | AN ACT |
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| 9 | 7 | | relating to designation of an employee within certain state |
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| 10 | 8 | | agencies as a veterans liaison. |
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| 11 | 9 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 12 | 10 | | SECTION 1. The heading to Chapter 657, Government Code, is |
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| 13 | 11 | | amended to read as follows: |
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| 14 | 12 | | CHAPTER 657. VETERAN'S EMPLOYMENT PREFERENCES; VETERANS LIAISON |
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| 15 | 13 | | SECTION 2. Chapter 657, Government Code, is amended by |
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| 16 | 14 | | adding Section 657.011 to read as follows: |
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| 17 | 15 | | Sec. 657.011. VETERANS LIAISON. (a) In this section: |
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| 18 | 16 | | (1) "State agency" means a board, commission, council, |
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| 19 | 17 | | committee, department, office, agency, or other governmental |
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| 20 | 18 | | entity in the executive, legislative, or judicial branch of state |
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| 21 | 19 | | government, including an institution of higher education as defined |
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| 22 | 20 | | by Section 61.003, Education Code. |
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| 23 | 21 | | (2) "Veteran" has the meaning assigned by Section |
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| 24 | 22 | | 657.002(c). |
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| 25 | 23 | | (b) Each state agency with more than 500 full-time |
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| 26 | 24 | | employees, using existing resources and employees, shall designate |
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| 27 | 25 | | a full-time employee of the agency to serve as the veterans liaison |
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| 28 | 26 | | for the agency. The employee's duties serving as the veterans |
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| 29 | 27 | | liaison are secondary to the employee's primary duties for the |
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| 30 | 28 | | agency. |
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| 31 | 29 | | (c) The veterans liaison shall: |
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| 32 | 30 | | (1) stay informed on trends and developments in |
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| 33 | 31 | | hiring veterans for positions within the agency and of services |
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| 34 | 32 | | available to veterans within and outside the agency; |
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| 35 | 33 | | (2) recruit veterans for open positions within the |
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| 36 | 34 | | agency; and |
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| 37 | 35 | | (3) serve as the contact for veterans within and |
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| 38 | 36 | | outside the agency to provide information about the agency and |
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| 39 | 37 | | veterans employment and services available within and outside the |
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| 40 | 38 | | agency. |
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| 41 | 39 | | SECTION 3. Not later than December 1, 2015, each state |
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| 42 | 40 | | agency with more than 500 full-time employees shall designate a |
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| 43 | 41 | | full-time employee of the agency to serve as the veterans liaison |
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| 44 | 42 | | for the agency as required by Section 657.011, Government Code, as |
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| 45 | 43 | | added by this Act. |
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| 46 | 44 | | SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2015. |
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