HB241 - Relating to a state employment preference for certain individuals who reside with veterans with a disability.

  89R775 LRM-F     By: Guillen H.B. No. 241       A BILL TO BE ENTITLED   AN ACT   relating to a state employment preference for certain individuals   who reside with veterans with a disability.          BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:          SECTION 1.  Section 657.002, Government Code, is amended to   read as follows:          Sec. 657.002.  INDIVIDUALS QUALIFIED FOR MILITARY   EMPLOYMENT PREFERENCE. The following individuals qualify for a   military employment preference:                (1)  a veteran, including a veteran with a disability;                (2)  a veteran's surviving spouse who has not   remarried;                (3)  an orphan of a veteran if the veteran was killed   while on active duty;                (4)  the spouse of a member of the United States armed   forces or Texas National Guard serving on active duty; [ and ]                (5)  the spouse of a veteran if the spouse is the   primary source of income for the household and the veteran has a   total disability rating based either on having a service-connected   disability with a disability rating of at least 70 percent or on   individual unemployability ; and                   (6)     an individual who resides in a household with a   veteran if the individual is the primary source of income for the   household and the veteran:                       (A)     has a total disability rating based either on   having a service-connected disability with a disability rating of   100 percent or on individual unemployability; and                       (B)     is receiving Supplemental Security Income   (SSI) benefits under 42 U.S.C. Section 1381 et seq. or Social   Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits under 42 U.S.C.   Section 401 et seq .          SECTION 2.  Section 657.003(b), Government Code, is amended   to read as follows:          (b)  A state agency shall provide to an individual entitled   to a military employment preference for employment or appointment   over other applicants for the same position who do not have a   greater qualification a military employment preference, in the   following order of priority:                (1)  a veteran with a disability;                (2)  a veteran;                (3)  a spouse described by Section 657.002(4) or (5);                (4)  a veteran's surviving spouse who has not   remarried; [ and ]                (5)  an orphan of a veteran if the veteran was killed   while on active duty ; and                 (6)     an individual who resides with a veteran with a   disability as described by Section 657.002(6) if the individual is   the primary source of income for the veteran's household .          SECTION 3.  Section 657.005(b), Government Code, is amended   to read as follows:          (b)  An applicant who is a veteran with a disability , a   spouse of a veteran as described by Section 657.002(5), or an   individual who resides with a veteran with a disability as   described by Section 657.002(6) if the individual is the primary   source of income for the veteran's household, shall furnish the   official records to the individual whose duty is to fill the   position.          SECTION 4.  The changes in law made by this Act apply only to   an open position with a state agency for which the state agency   begins accepting applications on or after the effective date of   this Act. An open position with a state agency for which the state   agency begins accepting applications before the effective date of   this Act is governed by the law in effect on the date the state   agency began accepting applications, and the former law is   continued in effect for that purpose.          SECTION 5.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.