Bill Caption

Relating to the employment of individuals qualified for a veteran's employment preference.

Fiscal Notes

No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

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 40% of their employees veterans, to making it a goal to aspire to. 

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 40 percent of the total number of employees of the state agency."  Due to this legislation removing requiring the Veterans Preference to all public entities to only state agencies, we support this bill because it limits government.