| 17 | | - | Sec. 434.451. DEFINITIONS. In this subchapter: |
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| 18 | | - | (1) "Active military service" has the meaning assigned |
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| 19 | | - | by Section 437.001. |
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| 20 | | - | (2) "DD Form 214" means any edition of United States |
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| 21 | | - | Department of Defense Form 214 (Certificate of Release or Discharge |
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| 22 | | - | from Active Duty). |
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| 23 | | - | (3) "Military discharge record" means a document |
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| 24 | | - | issued to a service member of the armed forces of the United States |
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| 25 | | - | or the Texas Military Forces showing the service member's release |
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| 26 | | - | or discharge from active military service. The term includes DD |
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| 27 | | - | Form 214. |
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| 28 | | - | (4) "Separation code" means: |
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| 29 | | - | (A) an alphanumeric code found in block 26 of the |
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| 30 | | - | edition of DD Form 214 dated 01 August 2009; or |
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| 31 | | - | (B) a numeric code commonly known as a separation |
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| 32 | | - | program code used on a previous edition of DD Form 214. |
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| 33 | | - | Sec. 434.452. CERTAIN PERSONS CONSIDERED HONORABLY |
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| 34 | | - | DISCHARGED. (a) The State of Texas recognizes a person as having |
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| 35 | | - | been honorably discharged from active military service if: |
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| 36 | | - | (1) according to the person's military discharge |
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| 37 | | - | record, the person was dishonorably discharged, or resigned, |
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| 38 | | - | retired, or otherwise separated from active military service on the |
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| 39 | | - | basis of the person's sexual orientation; and |
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| 40 | | - | (2) based on any previous characterization of service, |
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| 41 | | - | the person would have otherwise received a more favorable character |
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| 42 | | - | of discharge. |
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| 43 | | - | (b) For purposes of Subsection (a)(1), a person is |
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| 44 | | - | considered to have been dishonorably discharged or to have |
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| 45 | | - | resigned, retired, or otherwise separated from active military |
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| 46 | | - | service on the basis of the person's sexual orientation if: |
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| 47 | | - | (1) any of the following separation codes appear on |
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| 48 | | - | the person's DD Form 214 and represent a ground on which the person |
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| 49 | | - | was released or discharged from the armed forces of the United |
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| 50 | | - | States: |
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| 51 | | - | (A) BLC; |
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| 52 | | - | (B) BML; |
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| 53 | | - | (C) BRA; |
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| 54 | | - | (D) BRB; |
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| 55 | | - | (E) BRC; |
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| 56 | | - | (F) DLC; |
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| 57 | | - | (G) GKC; |
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| 58 | | - | (H) GLC; |
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| 59 | | - | (I) GML; |
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| 60 | | - | (J) GRA; |
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| 61 | | - | (K) GRB; |
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| 62 | | - | (L) GRC; |
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| 63 | | - | (M) HLC; |
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| 64 | | - | (N) HRA; |
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| 65 | | - | (O) HRB; |
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| 66 | | - | (P) HRC; |
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| 67 | | - | (Q) HWL; |
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| 68 | | - | (R) JB; |
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| 69 | | - | (S) JJB; |
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| 70 | | - | (T) JKC; |
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| 71 | | - | (U) JLC; |
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| 72 | | - | (V) JML; |
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| 73 | | - | (W) JRA; |
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| 74 | | - | (X) JRB; |
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| 75 | | - | (Y) JRC; |
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| 76 | | - | (Z) KRA; |
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| 77 | | - | (AA) KRB; |
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| 78 | | - | (BB) KRC; |
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| 79 | | - | (CC) RA; |
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| 80 | | - | (DD) RC; |
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| 81 | | - | (EE) 249; |
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| 82 | | - | (FF) 250; |
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| 83 | | - | (GG) 251; |
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| 84 | | - | (HH) 252; |
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| 85 | | - | (II) 253; |
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| 86 | | - | (JJ) 255; |
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| 87 | | - | (KK) 256; |
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| 88 | | - | (LL) 257; or |
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| 89 | | - | (MM) 586; or |
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| 90 | | - | (2) any other ground for release or discharge from |
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| 91 | | - | active military service based on sexual orientation, including a |
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| 92 | | - | predecessor or successor to a separation code listed in Subdivision |
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| 93 | | - | (1), appears on the person's military discharge record. |
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| 94 | | - | Sec. 434.453. ENTITLEMENT TO BENEFITS, RIGHTS, PRIVILEGES, |
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| 95 | | - | AND IMMUNITIES. Notwithstanding any other law, a person recognized |
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| 96 | | - | as having been honorably discharged under Section 434.452(a) is |
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| 97 | | - | entitled to all benefits, rights, privileges, and immunities |
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| 98 | | - | provided by this state or under state law to an honorably discharged |
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| 99 | | - | veteran. |
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| 100 | | - | Sec. 434.454. PROOF OF CERTAIN DISCHARGE. For purposes of |
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| 101 | | - | this subchapter, an agency or officer of this state shall accept a |
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| 102 | | - | copy of a person's DD Form 214 identified or commonly known as |
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| 103 | | - | "Service 2 Copy" or "Member 4 Copy." |
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| 15 | + | Sec. 434.451. CERTAIN PERSONS CONSIDERED HONORABLY |
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| 16 | + | DISCHARGED. (a) Notwithstanding any other law, a person is |
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| 17 | + | considered to have been honorably discharged from the armed forces |
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| 18 | + | of the United States or the Texas military forces for purposes of |
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| 19 | + | state law if the person was dishonorably discharged solely on the |
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| 20 | + | basis of the person's sexual orientation or gender identity. |
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| 21 | + | (b) A person considered to have been honorably discharged |
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| 22 | + | under Subsection (a) is entitled to all benefits, rights, |
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| 23 | + | privileges, and immunities provided by state law to an honorably |
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| 24 | + | discharged veteran. |
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