HB 4304

relating to the licensing of certain persons by the Texas
Commission on Law Enforcement and the hiring of those persons by
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1.  Section 370.007, Local Government Code, as added
by Chapter 1049 (S.B. 252), Acts of the 88th Legislature, Regular
Session, 2023, is redesignated as Section 370.009, Local Government
Code, and amended to read as follows:
Sec. 370.009  [370.007].  APPOINTING OR EMPLOYING CERTAIN
INDIVIDUALS [VETERANS] TO POSITION REQUIRING LICENSURE. (a)  In
this section, "commission" means the Texas Commission on Law
(b)  Notwithstanding any other law, a political subdivision
that appoints or employs a person to hold a position that requires
the person to be licensed by the commission may appoint or employ a
person who [legal permanent resident of the United States to hold
the position if the person is an honorably discharged veteran of the
armed forces of the United States with at least two years of service
before discharge and] holds the appropriate license issued by the
(1)  a legal permanent resident of the United States
who is an honorably discharged veteran of the armed forces of the
United States with at least two years of service before discharge;
(2)  a nonimmigrant legally admitted to the United
States as a citizen of a freely associated state as defined by 48
(c)  A political subdivision may not appoint or employ a
person under this section to hold a supervisory position until the
person becomes a United States citizen.
SECTION 2.  Section 1701.3095, Occupations Code, is amended
Sec. 1701.3095.  LICENSING OF CERTAIN INDIVIDUALS [VETERANS
WHO ARE LEGAL PERMANENT RESIDENTS].  The commission shall issue a
license the commission is authorized to issue to a person who [is a
legal permanent resident of the United States if the person:
[(1)]  meets the requirements of this chapter and the
commission's rules for the license and:[;]
(1) [(2)]  is a legal permanent resident of the United
(A)  is an honorably discharged veteran of the
armed forces of the United States with at least two years of service
(B) [(3)]  presents evidence satisfactory to the
commission that the person has applied for United States
(2)  is a nonimmigrant legally admitted to the United
States as a citizen of a freely associated state as defined by 48
SECTION 3.  Section 1701.451(a), Occupations Code, is
(a)  Before a law enforcement agency may hire a person
licensed under this chapter, the agency must, on a form and in the
manner prescribed by the commission:
(1)  obtain the person's written consent for the agency
to review the information required to be reviewed under this
(2)  request from the commission and any other
applicable person information required to be reviewed under this
(3)  submit to the commission confirmation that the
agency, to the best of the agency's ability before hiring the
(A)  contacted each entity or individual
necessary to obtain the information required to be reviewed under
(B)  except as provided by Subsection (b),
obtained and reviewed as related to the person, as applicable:
(i)  personnel files, as described by
Section 1701.4535, and other employee records from each previous
law enforcement agency employer, including the employment
application submitted to the previous employer;
(ii)  employment termination reports and
misconduct investigation reports maintained by the commission
(iii)  service records maintained by the
(iv)  proof that the person meets the
minimum qualifications for enrollment in a training program under
(v)  a military veteran's United States
Department of Defense Form DD-214 or other military discharge
(vi)  criminal history record information;
(vii)  information on pending warrants as
available through the Texas Crime Information Center and National
responsibility as required by Section 601.051, Transportation
(ix)  a driving record from the Department
(x)  proof of United States citizenship;
(xi)  [or, if the person is an honorably
discharged veteran of the armed forces of the United States with at
least two years of service before discharge,] proof of legal
permanent residence and proof that the person has applied for
United States citizenship, if the person is an honorably discharged
veteran of the armed forces of the United States with at least two
years of service before discharge;
(xii)  proof the person is a nonimmigrant
legally admitted to the United States as a citizen of a freely
associated state as defined by 48 U.S.C. Section 1988;
(xiii) [(xi)] information on the person's
background from at least three personal references and at least two
(xiv) [(xii)]  information on the person's
law enforcement background as available through a database
designated by the commission under Section 1701.169 and, if
applicable, a file or record obtained by the commission under
SECTION 4.  Not later than December 1, 2025, the Texas
Commission on Law Enforcement shall amend rules as necessary to
comply with Sections 1701.3095 and 1701.451, Occupations Code, as
SECTION 5.  Section 1701.451, Occupations Code, as amended
by this Act, applies only to the hiring of a person by a law
enforcement agency that occurs on or after December 1, 2025.  The
hiring of a person by a law enforcement agency that occurs before
that date is governed by the law in effect immediately before the
effective date of this Act, and the former law is continued in
SECTION 6.  To the extent of any conflict, this Act prevails
over another Act of the 89th Legislature, Regular Session, 2025,
relating to nonsubstantive additions to and corrections in enacted
SECTION 7.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.