Bill: HB 2996, 84(R) - 2015
Committee
House Economic & Small Business Development
Companion Bill
SB 805
Vote Recommendation
| Vote Recommendation |
Economic Freedom |
Property Rights |
Personal Responsibility |
Limited Government |
Individual Liberty |
| Yes |
Neutral |
Neutral |
Neutral |
Positive |
Neutral |
Author(s)
Ryan Guillen
Bill Caption
Relating to the employment of individuals qualified for a veteran's employment preference.
Fiscal Notes
A fiscal note dated April 22, 2015 anticipates no significant fiscal implication to the State or units of local government.
Bill Analysis
This legislation allows direct hiring of veterans by agencies through the Texas Workforce Commission's automated job matching system, and requires agencies to interview veterans. It tightens the implication of Veterans Preference from public entities, which could be interpreted to include all political subdivisions of the state, to exclusively state agencies, and rewords a requirement of an agency having 15% (instead of 40%) of their employees veterans, to making it a goal to aspire to.
Senate Bill 805 is similar but identical to House Bill 2996.
Vote Recommendation Notes
This legislation amends existing law, which provides an advantage to veterans, and certain family members to gain employment in a state agency over anyone "who do not have a greater qualification". Current law is broad in placing a Veterans Preference to all public entities. This legislation, restricts the Veterans Preference to exclusively state agencies. Also, this legislation adjusts what was a requirement, to now "establish a goal of hiring, in full-time positions at the agency, a number of veterans equal to at least 15 percent of the total number of employees of the state agency," while it used to be 40 percent. Due to this legislation removing requiring the Veterans Preference to all public entities to only state agencies, and reducing the minimum percentage required, we support this bill because it limits government.
