| 1 | 1 | | 84R3272 JSC-F |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Campbell S.B. No. 1713 |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 6 | 6 | | AN ACT |
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| 7 | 7 | | relating to a voluntary veteran's employment preference for private |
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| 8 | 8 | | employers. |
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| 9 | 9 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 10 | 10 | | SECTION 1. Subtitle A, Title 2, Labor Code, is amended by |
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| 11 | 11 | | adding Chapter 23 to read as follows: |
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| 12 | 12 | | CHAPTER 23. VOLUNTARY VETERAN'S EMPLOYMENT PREFERENCE FOR PRIVATE |
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| 13 | 13 | | EMPLOYERS |
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| 14 | 14 | | Sec. 23.001. DEFINITION. In this chapter, "veteran" means |
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| 15 | 15 | | an individual who: |
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| 16 | 16 | | (1) has served on active duty in the armed forces of |
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| 17 | 17 | | the United States; and |
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| 18 | 18 | | (2) was honorably discharged from military service. |
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| 19 | 19 | | Sec. 23.002. VOLUNTARY PREFERENCE POLICY. (a) A private |
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| 20 | 20 | | employer may adopt a policy under which the employer gives a |
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| 21 | 21 | | preference in employment decisions regarding hiring, promotion, or |
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| 22 | 22 | | retention to a veteran over another qualified applicant or |
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| 23 | 23 | | employee. |
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| 24 | 24 | | (b) A policy adopted under this section must be in writing. |
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| 25 | 25 | | Sec. 23.003. APPLICATION OF POLICY. (a) An employer shall |
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| 26 | 26 | | apply any policy adopted under this chapter uniformly in employment |
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| 27 | 27 | | decisions regarding hiring, promotion, or retention during a |
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| 28 | 28 | | reduction in the employer's workforce. |
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| 29 | 29 | | (b) An employer may require appropriate documentation from |
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| 30 | 30 | | a veteran for the veteran to be eligible for the preference under a |
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| 31 | 31 | | policy adopted under this chapter. |
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| 32 | 32 | | (c) Granting a preference in accordance with a policy |
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| 33 | 33 | | adopted under this chapter does not violate Chapter 21. |
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| 34 | 34 | | SECTION 2. The change in law made by this Act applies only |
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| 35 | 35 | | to an employment decision made on or after the effective date of |
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| 36 | 36 | | this Act. An employment decision made before the effective date of |
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| 37 | 37 | | this Act is governed by the law in effect on the date the decision |
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| 38 | 38 | | was made, and the former law is continued in effect for that |
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| 39 | 39 | | purpose. |
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| 40 | 40 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2015. |
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