Bill Text: TX SB145 | 2021-2022 | 87th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to state occupational licensing of certain military veterans and military spouses.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2021-03-03 - Referred to Vet Affairs & Border Security [SB145 Detail]
Download: Texas-2021-SB145-Introduced.html
87R990 KKR-D | ||
By: Powell | S.B. No. 145 |
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relating to state occupational licensing of certain military | ||
veterans and military spouses. | ||
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
SECTION 1. Section 21.052, Education Code, is amended by | ||
amending Subsections (a-1), (b-1), and (f) and adding Subsection | ||
(i) to read as follows: | ||
(a-1) The commissioner may adopt rules establishing | ||
exceptions to the examination requirements prescribed by | ||
Subsection (a)(3) for an educator who is a military veteran or | ||
military spouse or is from outside the state to obtain a certificate | ||
in this state. | ||
(b-1) The board shall propose rules in accordance with | ||
Sections 55.005 and 55.006, Occupations Code, to establish | ||
procedures to expedite the processing of an application for a | ||
certificate under this section submitted by an educator who is a | ||
military veteran or military [ |
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station or military identification card [ |
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(f) The board shall post on the board's Internet website the | ||
procedures for obtaining a certificate under Subsection (a) and the | ||
notice required under Section 55.010, Occupations Code. | ||
(i) In this section: | ||
(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) "Military service member" means a person who is on | ||
active duty. | ||
(4) "Military spouse" means a person who is married to | ||
a military service member. | ||
(5) "Military veteran" means a person who has served | ||
on active duty and who was discharged or released from active duty. | ||
SECTION 2. Section 55.004, Occupations Code, is amended by | ||
adding Subsections (a-1) and (d) to read as follows: | ||
(a-1) In adopting rules under Subsection (a), the state | ||
agency shall ensure that a military veteran or military spouse | ||
receives appropriate credit for the individual's experience, | ||
including clinical and professional experience, in a licensed | ||
profession. | ||
(d) A state agency that issues a license that has a | ||
residency requirement for license eligibility shall adopt rules to | ||
allow a military spouse applicant to establish residency for | ||
purposes of this subsection by providing to the agency a copy of the | ||
permanent change of station order for the military service member | ||
to whom the spouse is married or the spouse's military | ||
identification card. | ||
SECTION 3. Section 55.010, Occupations Code, is amended to | ||
read as follows: | ||
Sec. 55.010. NOTICE OF CHAPTER PROVISIONS. (a) In this | ||
section, "commission" means the Texas Workforce Commission. | ||
(b) 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. | ||
(c) A state agency that issues a license under rules adopted | ||
under Section 55.004 shall notify the commission immediately on | ||
determining that the requirements of a license of this state are | ||
substantially equivalent to those of another jurisdiction. | ||
(d) The commission shall establish and maintain an Internet | ||
website to serve as a single location for military veterans and | ||
military spouses to access information regarding the issuance of a | ||
license by a state agency to a military veteran or military spouse | ||
who is licensed in another jurisdiction, including a list of each | ||
license of this state and license of another jurisdiction that is | ||
determined by a state agency to be substantially equivalent. | ||
SECTION 4. Section 2, Chapter 1048 (H.B. 1934), Acts of the | ||
85th Legislature, Regular Session, 2017, is repealed. | ||
SECTION 5. Not later than January 1, 2022, the Texas | ||
Workforce Commission shall establish the Internet website required | ||
by Section 55.010, Occupations Code, as amended by this Act. | ||
SECTION 6. The changes in law made by this Act apply only to | ||
an initial application for or an application for renewal of an | ||
occupational license filed on or after the effective date of this | ||
Act. An application for a license filed before the effective date of | ||
this Act is governed by the law in effect immediately before that | ||
date, and that law is continued in effect for that purpose. | ||
SECTION 7. This Act takes effect September 1, 2021. |