Texas 2025 - 89th Regular

Texas Senate Bill SB1441 Compare Versions

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Old	New	Differences
1	1	89R7697 LRM-D
2	2	By: Bettencourt S.B. No. 1441
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7	7	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
8	8	AN ACT
9	9	relating to state agency employment openings and aptitude
10	10	assessments.
11	11	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
12	12	SECTION 1. Section 656.002, Government Code, is amended by
13	13	amending Subsections (b), (c), and (e) and adding Subsections (f),
14	14	(g), and (h) to read as follows:
15	15	(b) The online system for listing state agency employment
16	16	openings maintained by the Texas Workforce Commission must allow an
17	17	applicant for employment to:
18	18	(1) complete a single state application and the
19	19	standardized aptitude test online; and
20	20	(2) enter the application and the standardized
21	21	aptitude test into an online database from which the applicant may
22	22	electronically send the application and the standardized aptitude
23	23	test to multiple state agencies.
24	24	(c) The Texas Workforce Commission shall:
25	25	(1) prescribe a standard electronic format for the
26	26	online application and standardized aptitude test described by
27	27	Subsection (b); and
28	28	(2) ensure that the commission's online system allows
29	29	an applicant to submit and a state agency to receive an online
30	30	application and the standardized aptitude test for state agency
31	31	employment.
32	32	(e) This section does not prohibit a state agency from
33	33	accepting an application for an employment opening, the
34	34	standardized aptitude test, or a specialized aptitude test in a
35	35	manner other than the manner described by this section.
36	36	(f) The online system must inform an applicant that the
37	37	applicant is not required to complete the standardized aptitude
38	38	test to apply for an employment opening.
39	39	(g) The online system must list the classified positions for
40	40	which the standardized aptitude test will be accepted.
41	41	(h) In this section, "specialized aptitude test" and
42	42	"standardized aptitude test" have the meanings assigned by Section
43	43	656.028.
44	44	SECTION 2. Subchapter B, Chapter 656, Government Code, is
45	45	amended by adding Section 656.028 to read as follows:
46	46	Sec. 656.028. APTITUDE ASSESSMENTS. (a) In this section:
47	47	(1) "Career education and training program" has the
48	48	meaning assigned by Section 2308A.001.
49	49	(2) "Specialized aptitude test" means an assessment of
50	50	the competencies and skills needed for a specific state agency
51	51	position that are not measured by the standardized aptitude test,
52	52	including a skills demonstration, skills-based questionnaire,
53	53	skills-based interview, and any other valid skills measurement
54	54	strategy.
55	55	(3) "Standardized aptitude test" means the uniform
56	56	assessment that measures the skill set of a job applicant developed
57	57	by the state auditor under this section.
58	58	(b) Each state agency shall at least once each calendar year
59	59	review each classified position in the state agency to determine
60	60	the skills needed for each position. The state agency shall compile
61	61	a list of skills for each position identified under this subsection
62	62	and submit the list to the state auditor.
63	63	(c) The state auditor shall review each list of skills for
64	64	each position submitted under Subsection (b) and determine the
65	65	skills shared across state agency classified positions. The state
66	66	auditor shall develop, in consultation with state agencies, a
67	67	standardized aptitude test to determine whether a job applicant has
68	68	the shared skills. The state auditor may contract with a person
69	69	that specializes in certification of occupation-based skills
70	70	assessments to develop, certify, or evaluate the results of the
71	71	standardized aptitude test.
72	72	(d) The Texas Workforce Commission shall make the
73	73	standardized aptitude test available on the online system for
74	74	listing state agency employment openings described by Section
75	75	656.002.
76	76	(e) If a state agency determines a specialized aptitude test
77	77	would improve the agency's hiring process, the agency must consult
78	78	with the Tri-Agency Workforce Initiative established by Chapter
79	79	2308A to align career education and training programs and the state
80	80	workforce development strategies developed under Section 2308A.006
81	81	with the competencies and skills measured by the test.
82	82	(f) A state agency may not consider the fact that an
83	83	applicant for employment did not complete the standardized aptitude
84	84	test in making a hiring determination.
85	85	(g) The state auditor shall adopt rules necessary to
86	86	implement this section, including rules that require a state agency
87	87	to accept the standardized aptitude test as an alternative to a
88	88	hiring requirement that relates to an applicant's education or
89	89	experience, as determined appropriate by the state auditor.
90	90	SECTION 3. Each state agency shall complete the initial
91	91	review required by Section 656.028(b), Government Code, as added by
92	92	this Act, and submit the list of skills for each position to the
93	93	state auditor not later than December 1, 2026.
94	94	SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.