Bill Text: TX SB1307 | 2015-2016 | 84th Legislature | Enrolled
Bill Title: Relating to occupational licenses for military service members, military veterans, and military spouses.
Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Democrat 4-2)
Status: (Passed) 2015-06-19 - Effective on 9/1/15 [SB1307 Detail]
Download: Texas-2015-SB1307-Enrolled.html
S.B. No. 1307 |
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relating to occupational licenses for military service members, | ||
military veterans, and military spouses. | ||
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
SECTION 1. The heading to Chapter 55, Occupations Code, as | ||
amended by Chapters 66 (S.B. 162) and 348 (H.B. 2254), Acts of the | ||
83rd Legislature, Regular Session, 2013, is reenacted to read as | ||
follows: | ||
CHAPTER 55. LICENSING OF MILITARY SERVICE MEMBERS, MILITARY | ||
VETERANS, AND MILITARY SPOUSES | ||
SECTION 2. Section 55.001, Occupations Code, is amended to | ||
read as follows: | ||
Sec. 55.001. DEFINITIONS. In this chapter: | ||
(1) "Active duty" means current full-time military | ||
service in the armed forces of the United States or active duty | ||
military service as a member of the Texas military forces, as | ||
defined by Section 437.001, Government Code, or similar military | ||
service of another state. | ||
(2) "Armed forces of the United States" means the | ||
army, navy, air force, coast guard, or marine corps of the United | ||
States or a reserve unit of one of those branches of the armed | ||
forces. | ||
(3) "License" means a license, certificate, | ||
registration, permit, or other form of authorization required by | ||
law or a state agency rule that must be obtained by an individual to | ||
engage in a particular business. | ||
(4) [ |
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who is on active duty [ |
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(5) [ |
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married to a military service member [ |
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(6) [ |
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served on active duty and who was discharged or released from active | ||
duty [ |
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(7) [ |
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bureau, commission, committee, division, office, council, or | ||
agency of the state. | ||
SECTION 3. Section 55.002, Occupations Code, is amended to | ||
read as follows: | ||
Sec. 55.002. EXEMPTION FROM PENALTY FOR FAILURE TO RENEW | ||
LICENSE. A state agency that issues a license shall adopt rules to | ||
exempt an individual who holds a license issued by the agency from | ||
any increased fee or other penalty imposed by the agency for failing | ||
to renew the license in a timely manner if the individual | ||
establishes to the satisfaction of the agency that the individual | ||
failed to renew the license in a timely manner because the | ||
individual was serving as a military service member [ |
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SECTION 4. Section 55.003, Occupations Code, is amended to | ||
read as follows: | ||
Sec. 55.003. EXTENSION OF LICENSE RENEWAL [ |
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DEADLINES FOR [ |
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A military service member [ |
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time[ |
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(1) any continuing education requirements; and | ||
(2) any other requirement related to the renewal of | ||
the military service member's [ |
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SECTION 5. Section 55.004, Occupations Code, is amended to | ||
read as follows: | ||
Sec. 55.004. ALTERNATIVE LICENSING [ |
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MILITARY SERVICE MEMBERS, MILITARY VETERANS, AND MILITARY SPOUSES | ||
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rules for the issuance of the license to an applicant who is a | ||
military service member, military veteran, or military spouse [ |
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(1) holds a current license issued by another | ||
jurisdiction [ |
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substantially equivalent to the requirements for the license in | ||
this state; or | ||
(2) within the five years preceding the application | ||
date held the license in this state [ |
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(b) [ |
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prerequisite to obtaining a license for an applicant described by | ||
Subsection (a) after reviewing the applicant's credentials [ |
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(c) In addition to the rules adopted under Subsection (a), a | ||
state agency that issues a license may adopt rules that would | ||
establish alternate methods for a military service member, military | ||
veteran, or military spouse to demonstrate competency to meet the | ||
requirements for obtaining the license. | ||
SECTION 6. The heading to Section 55.005, Occupations Code, | ||
as added by Chapter 66 (S.B. 162), Acts of the 83rd Legislature, | ||
Regular Session, 2013, is amended to read as follows: | ||
Sec. 55.005. EXPEDITED LICENSE PROCEDURE FOR MILITARY | ||
SERVICE MEMBERS, MILITARY VETERANS, AND MILITARY SPOUSES. | ||
SECTION 7. Section 55.005(a), Occupations Code, as added by | ||
Chapter 66 (S.B. 162), Acts of the 83rd Legislature, Regular | ||
Session, 2013, is amended to read as follows: | ||
(a) A state agency that issues a license shall, as soon as | ||
practicable after a military service member, military veteran, or | ||
military spouse files an application for a license: | ||
(1) process the application; and | ||
(2) issue the [ |
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55.004 [ |
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SECTION 8. Section 55.005, Occupations Code, as added by | ||
Chapter 348 (H.B. 2254), Acts of the 83rd Legislature, Regular | ||
Session, 2013, is redesignated as Section 55.008, Occupations Code, | ||
and amended to read as follows: | ||
Sec. 55.008 [ |
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APPLICANT WITH MILITARY EXPERIENCE. (a) Notwithstanding any | ||
other law, if an apprenticeship is required for a [ |
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license issued by a state agency, the state agency shall credit | ||
verified military service, training, or education that is relevant | ||
to the occupation toward the apprenticeship requirements for the | ||
license. | ||
(b) The state agency shall adopt rules necessary to | ||
implement this section. | ||
SECTION 9. The heading to Section 55.006, Occupations Code, | ||
is amended to read as follows: | ||
Sec. 55.006. RENEWAL OF EXPEDITED LICENSE ISSUED TO | ||
MILITARY SERVICE MEMBER, MILITARY VETERAN, OR MILITARY SPOUSE. | ||
SECTION 10. Chapter 55, Occupations Code, is amended by | ||
adding Section 55.009 to read as follows: | ||
Sec. 55.009. NOTICE OF CHAPTER PROVISIONS. A state agency | ||
that issues a license shall prominently post a notice on the home | ||
page of the agency's Internet website describing the provisions of | ||
this chapter that are available to military service members, | ||
military veterans, and military spouses. | ||
SECTION 11. The changes in law made by this Act apply only | ||
to an application for an occupational license or renewal of an | ||
occupational license filed on or after January 1, 2016. An | ||
application for a license or for license renewal filed before | ||
January 1, 2016, is governed by the law in effect immediately before | ||
the effective date of this Act, and that law is continued in effect | ||
for that purpose. | ||
SECTION 12. To the extent of any conflict, this Act prevails | ||
over another Act of the 84th Legislature, Regular Session, 2015, | ||
relating to nonsubstantive additions to and corrections in enacted | ||
codes. | ||
SECTION 13. This Act takes effect September 1, 2015. | ||
______________________________ | ______________________________ | |
President of the Senate | Speaker of the House | |
I hereby certify that S.B. No. 1307 passed the Senate on | ||
April 29, 2015, by the following vote: Yeas 31, Nays 0. | ||
______________________________ | ||
Secretary of the Senate | ||
I hereby certify that S.B. No. 1307 passed the House on | ||
May 27, 2015, by the following vote: Yeas 144, Nays 0, two | ||
present not voting. | ||
______________________________ | ||
Chief Clerk of the House | ||
Approved: | ||
______________________________ | ||
Date | ||
______________________________ | ||
Governor |