What does Texas HB5629 do?
Effective immediately, Texas has mandated a strict 10-day processing deadline and 100% fee waivers for occupational license applications from military members, veterans, and spouses. The legislature has lowered the reciprocity standard from "substantial equivalence" to "similar scope of practice," significantly widening the hiring pool but shifting the burden of scope-of-practice verification and license validity tracking directly to employers. Implementation Timeline Effective Date: June 20, 2025 (Immediate).