88R1437 BEE-F
 
  By: Perry S.B. No. 1714
 
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to the consequences of a criminal conviction on a person's
  eligibility for an occupational license.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Section 53.021(a), Occupations Code, is amended
  to read as follows:
         (a)  Subject to Section 53.0231, a licensing authority may
  not suspend or revoke a license, disqualify a person from receiving
  a license, or deny to a person the opportunity to take a licensing
  examination on the grounds that the person has been convicted of an
  offense unless the offense is:
               (1)  on the list prepared by the licensing authority
  under Section 53.0212 and the person applies for the license before
  the later of the fifth anniversary of the date of:
                     (A)  conviction; or
                     (B)  the person's release from confinement if the
  person's sentence for the offense included a term of confinement
  [an offense that directly relates to the duties and
  responsibilities of the licensed occupation];
               (2)  [an offense] listed in Article 42A.054, Code of
  Criminal Procedure; or
               (3)  a sexually violent offense, as defined by Article
  62.001, Code of Criminal Procedure.
         SECTION 2.  Section 53.0211(b), Occupations Code, is amended
  to read as follows:
         (b)  Notwithstanding any law other than Subsection (a) and
  unless the applicant has been convicted of an offense described by
  Section 53.021(a), a licensing authority shall issue to an
  otherwise qualified applicant who has been convicted of an offense
  [:
               [(1)]  the license for which the applicant applied [;
  or
               [(2)  a provisional license described by Subsection
  (c)].
         SECTION 3.  Subchapter B, Chapter 53, Occupations Code, is
  amended by adding Section 53.0212 to read as follows:
         Sec. 53.0212.  LIST OF OFFENSES DIRECTLY RELATED TO
  OCCUPATION. (a) A licensing authority shall prepare and make
  available to the public a list of offenses:
               (1)  that directly relate to the duties and
  responsibilities of each occupation licensed by the authority; and
               (2)  on conviction of which the licensing authority may
  take an action described by Section 53.021(a).
         (b)  In preparing the list of offenses under Subsection (a),
  the licensing authority:
               (1)  shall list specific offenses; and
               (2)  may not use nonspecific terms to describe
  offenses, including the terms "moral turpitude" and "good
  character."
         SECTION 4.  Section 53.022, Occupations Code, is amended to
  read as follows:
         Sec. 53.022.  FACTORS IN DETERMINING WHETHER OFFENSE
  [CONVICTION] DIRECTLY RELATES TO OCCUPATION. In determining
  whether an offense [a criminal conviction] directly relates to the
  duties and responsibilities of a licensed occupation, the licensing
  authority shall consider each of the following factors:
               (1)  the nature and seriousness of the offense [crime];
               (2)  the relationship of the offense [crime] to the
  purposes for requiring a license to engage in the occupation;
               (3)  the extent to which holding a license might offer
  an opportunity to engage in further criminal activity of the same
  type as that [in which the person previously had been] involved in
  the offense;
               (4)  the relationship of the offense [crime] to the
  ability or capacity required to perform the duties and discharge
  the responsibilities of the licensed occupation; and
               (5)  any correlation between the elements of the
  offense [crime] and the duties and responsibilities of the licensed
  occupation.
         SECTION 5.  The heading to Section 53.023, Occupations Code,
  is amended to read as follows:
         Sec. 53.023.  ADDITIONAL FACTORS FOR LICENSING AUTHORITY
  CONSIDERATION [TO CONSIDER] AFTER DETERMINING OFFENSE [CONVICTION]
  DIRECTLY RELATES TO OCCUPATION.
         SECTION 6.  Section 53.023(a), Occupations Code, is amended
  to read as follows:
         (a)  In [If a licensing authority determines under Section
  53.022 that a criminal conviction directly relates to the duties
  and responsibilities of a licensed occupation, the licensing
  authority shall consider the following in] determining whether to
  take an action described [authorized] by Section 53.021(a) with
  respect to a person who has been convicted of an offense that
  appears on the list prepared under Section 53.0212, the licensing
  authority shall consider [53.021]:
               (1)  the extent and nature of the person's past criminal
  activity;
               (2)  the age of the person when the offense [crime] was
  committed;
               (3)  the amount of time that has elapsed since the
  person's last offense [criminal activity];
               (4)  the conduct and work activity of the person before
  and after each offense the person has committed [criminal
  activity];
               (5)  evidence of the person's rehabilitation or
  rehabilitative effort while incarcerated or after release;
               (6)  evidence of the person's compliance with any
  conditions of community supervision, parole, or mandatory
  supervision; and
               (7)  other evidence of the person's fitness, including
  letters of recommendation.
         SECTION 7.  Section 53.025, Occupations Code, is amended by
  amending Subsection (a) and adding Subsection (a-1) to read as
  follows:
         (a)  Each licensing authority shall issue guidelines
  relating to the practice of the licensing authority under this
  chapter.
         (a-1)  The guidelines issued under this section must state:
               (1)  the reasons each offense appears on the list of
  offenses prepared by the licensing authority under Section 53.0212;
  [a particular crime is considered to relate to a particular
  license] and
               (2)  any other criterion that affects the decisions of
  the licensing authority regarding the consequences of a criminal
  conviction on a person's eligibility for an occupational license.
         SECTION 8.  Subchapter B, Chapter 53, Occupations Code, is
  amended by adding Section 53.0255 to read as follows:
         Sec. 53.0255.  PUBLICATION AND AMENDMENT OF LIST OF OFFENSES
  AND GUIDELINES. (a) A state licensing authority shall file the
  list of offenses prepared under Section 53.0212 and the guidelines
  prepared under Section 53.025 with the secretary of state for
  publication in the Texas Register.
         (b)  A local or county licensing authority shall post the
  list of offenses prepared under Section 53.0212 and the guidelines
  prepared under Section 53.025 at the courthouse for the county in
  which the licensing authority is located or publish the list of
  offenses and guidelines in a newspaper of general circulation in
  the county.
         (c)  Amendments to the list of offenses and guidelines, if
  any, shall be issued annually.
         SECTION 9.  Subchapter C, Chapter 53, Occupations Code, is
  amended by adding Section 53.053 to read as follows:
         Sec. 53.053.  BURDEN OF PROOF. In a hearing on the
  administrative appeal or judicial review of a licensing authority's
  decision under Section 53.021(a), the licensing authority has the
  burden of proving by clear and convincing evidence that:
               (1)  the offense for which the person was convicted
  directly relates to the duties and responsibilities of the licensed
  occupation; and
               (2)  after consideration of the relevant factors as
  required by Section 53.023(a), the person lacks the fitness to
  perform the duties and discharge the responsibilities of the
  licensed occupation.
         SECTION 10.  Section 53.102(a), Occupations Code, is amended
  to read as follows:
         (a)  A person may request a licensing authority to issue a
  criminal history evaluation letter regarding the person's
  eligibility for a license issued by that authority if the person [:
               [(1)  is enrolled or planning to enroll in an
  educational program that prepares a person for an initial license
  or is planning to take an examination for an initial license; and
               [(2)]  has reason to believe that the person is
  ineligible for the license due to a conviction or deferred
  adjudication for a felony or misdemeanor offense.
         SECTION 11.  Section 53.104(c), Occupations Code, is amended
  to read as follows:
         (c)  A licensing authority must provide notice under
  Subsection (a) or issue a letter under Subsection (b) not later than
  the 30th [90th] day after the date the authority receives the
  request.
         SECTION 12.  Section 53.152(a), Occupations Code, is amended
  to read as follows:
         (a)  An entity that provides an educational program to
  prepare an individual for issuance of an initial occupational
  license shall notify each applicant to and enrollee in the
  educational program of:
               (1)  the potential ineligibility of an individual who
  has been convicted of an offense for issuance of an occupational
  license on completion of the educational program;
               (2)  the current list of offenses prepared under
  Section 53.0212 and guidelines prepared [issued] under Section
  53.025 by any licensing authority that may issue an occupational
  license to an individual who completes the educational program; and
               (3)  [any other state or local restriction or guideline
  used by a licensing authority described by Subdivision (2) to
  determine the eligibility of an individual who has been convicted
  of an offense for an occupational license issued by the licensing
  authority; and
               [(4)]  the right to request a criminal history
  evaluation letter under Section 53.102.
         SECTION 13.  Chapter 53, Occupations Code, is amended by
  adding Subchapter F to read as follows:
  SUBCHAPTER F. REINSTATEMENT OF SUSPENDED OR REVOKED LICENSE
         Sec. 53.201.  REINSTATEMENT OF CERTAIN LICENSES. (a) A
  licensing authority shall reinstate a license that was suspended or
  revoked based solely on the license holder's previous criminal
  conviction if:
               (1)  the person applies to the licensing authority for
  reinstatement of the license in the form and manner prescribed by
  the licensing authority;
               (2)  the criminal conviction that was the basis of the
  suspension or revocation of the license does not appear on the
  current list of offenses prepared by the licensing authority under
  Section 53.0212; and
               (3)  all other requirements for the issuance of an
  original license by the licensing authority are satisfied.
         (b)  A licensing authority shall adopt rules as necessary to
  implement this section. 
         SECTION 14.  The following provisions of the Occupations
  Code are repealed:
               (1)  Sections 53.021(a-1) and (b);
               (2)  Sections 53.0211(c), (d), (e), (f), and (g); and
               (3)  Sections 53.025(b), (c), and (d).
         SECTION 15.  (a) Section 53.021, Occupations Code, as
  amended by this Act, applies only to an action taken by a licensing
  authority to suspend or revoke a license, disqualify a person from
  receiving a license, or deny to a person the opportunity to take a
  licensing examination on or after January 1, 2024. An action taken
  by a licensing authority 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 effect for that purpose.
         (b)  Section 53.053, Occupations Code, as added by this Act,
  applies only to a proceeding commenced on or after January 1, 2024.
  A proceeding commenced 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 effect for that purpose.
         (c)  Section 53.104(c), Occupations Code, as amended by this
  Act, applies only to a request received by a licensing authority
  under Subchapter D, Chapter 53, Occupations Code, as amended by
  this Act, on or after January 1, 2024. A request received 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
  effect for that purpose.
         SECTION 16.  Not later than December 31, 2023, a licensing
  authority shall file or make available the list of offenses and
  guidelines as required by Section 53.0255, Occupations Code, as
  added by this Act.
         SECTION 17.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2023.