| 1 | | - | By: Larson, et al. (Senate Sponsor - Campbell) H.B. No. 3547 |
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| 2 | | - | (In the Senate - Received from the House May 11, 2015; |
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| 3 | | - | May 12, 2015, read first time and referred to Committee on Veteran |
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| 4 | | - | Affairs and Military Installations; May 21, 2015, reported |
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| 5 | | - | favorably by the following vote: Yeas 6, Nays 0; May 21, 2015, sent |
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| 6 | | - | to printer.) |
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| 1 | + | H.B. No. 3547 |
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| 19 | 4 | | AN ACT |
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| 20 | 5 | | relating to a voluntary veteran's employment preference for private |
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| 21 | 6 | | employers. |
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| 22 | 7 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 23 | 8 | | SECTION 1. Subtitle A, Title 2, Labor Code, is amended by |
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| 24 | 9 | | adding Chapter 23 to read as follows: |
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| 25 | 10 | | CHAPTER 23. VOLUNTARY VETERAN'S EMPLOYMENT PREFERENCE FOR PRIVATE |
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| 26 | 11 | | EMPLOYERS |
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| 27 | 12 | | Sec. 23.001. DEFINITION. In this chapter, "veteran" means |
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| 28 | 13 | | an individual who: |
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| 29 | 14 | | (1) has served on active duty in the armed forces of |
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| 30 | 15 | | the United States; and |
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| 31 | 16 | | (2) was honorably discharged from military service. |
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| 32 | 17 | | Sec. 23.002. VOLUNTARY PREFERENCE POLICY. (a) A private |
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| 33 | 18 | | employer may adopt a policy under which the employer may give a |
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| 34 | 19 | | preference in employment decisions regarding hiring, promotion, or |
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| 35 | 20 | | retention to a veteran over another qualified applicant or |
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| 36 | 21 | | employee. |
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| 37 | 22 | | (b) A policy adopted under this section must be in writing. |
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| 38 | 23 | | Sec. 23.003. APPLICATION OF POLICY. (a) A private employer |
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| 39 | 24 | | shall apply any policy adopted under this chapter reasonably and in |
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| 40 | 25 | | good faith in employment decisions regarding hiring, promotion, or |
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| 41 | 26 | | retention during a reduction in the employer's workforce. |
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| 42 | 27 | | (b) A private employer may require appropriate |
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| 43 | 28 | | documentation from a veteran for the veteran to be eligible for the |
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| 44 | 29 | | preference under a policy adopted under this chapter. |
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| 45 | 30 | | (c) Granting a preference in accordance with a policy |
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| 46 | 31 | | adopted under this chapter does not violate Chapter 21. |
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| 47 | 32 | | SECTION 2. The change in law made by this Act applies only |
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| 48 | 33 | | to an employment decision made on or after the effective date of |
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| 49 | 34 | | this Act. An employment decision made before the effective date of |
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| 50 | 35 | | this Act is governed by the law in effect on the date the decision |
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| 51 | 36 | | was made, and the former law is continued in effect for that |
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| 52 | 37 | | purpose. |
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| 53 | 38 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2015. |
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| 54 | | - | * * * * * |
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| 39 | + | ______________________________ ______________________________ |
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| 40 | + | President of the Senate Speaker of the House |
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| 41 | + | I certify that H.B. No. 3547 was passed by the House on May 8, |
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| 42 | + | 2015, by the following vote: Yeas 130, Nays 12, 2 present, not |
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| 43 | + | voting. |
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| 44 | + | ______________________________ |
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| 45 | + | Chief Clerk of the House |
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| 46 | + | I certify that H.B. No. 3547 was passed by the Senate on May |
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| 47 | + | 26, 2015, by the following vote: Yeas 31, Nays 0. |
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| 48 | + | ______________________________ |
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| 49 | + | Secretary of the Senate |
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| 50 | + | APPROVED: _____________________ |
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| 51 | + | Date |
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| 52 | + | _____________________ |
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| 53 | + | Governor |
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