The Texas Legislature recently passed a bill lowering the enlistment age for the Texas State Guard (State Defense Force) from 18 to 17 years old.

Bill Name: Texas House Bill 1062

Summary: Relating to the eligibility of certain 17-year-old persons to serve as members of the Texas State Guard.

Status: (Passed) 2021-06-09 – Effective on 9/1/21

H.B. No. 1062

AN ACT

  relating to the eligibility of certain 17-year-old persons to serve

  as members of the Texas State Guard.

        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

        SECTION 1.  Section 437.302, Government Code, is amended by

  amending Subsection (b) and adding Subsection (d) to read as

  follows:

        (b)  To serve in the Texas State Guard, a person:

              (1)  must be a resident of this state for at least 180

  days;

              (2)  must be a citizen of the United States or a person

  who has been lawfully admitted to the United States for permanent

  residence under the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C.

  Section 1101 et seq.);

              (3)  subject to Subsections [Subsection] (c) and (d),

  must be at least 17 [18] years of age and not older than 70 years of

  age;

              (4)  must undergo a criminal history check;

              (5)  must not be a registered sex offender; and

              (6)  must be acceptable to and approved by the governor

  or adjutant general under the governor’s direction.

        (d)  A person who is at least 17 years of age but younger than

  18 years of age may serve in the Texas State Guard if the person:

              (1)  is emancipated by marriage, court order, or other

  operation of law; or

              (2)  provides to the adjutant general, in a form and

  manner prescribed by the adjutant general, the written consent of:

                    (A)  each of the person’s parents or legal

  guardians, other than a parent or legal guardian who is:

                          (i)  deceased;

                          (ii)  determined by a court to be

  incapacitated;

                          (iii)  absent at an unknown location for an

  indefinite period; or

                          (iv)  confined in jail or prison serving a

  term of punishment that will result in the parent or guardian being

  released after the person’s 18th birthday; or

                    (B)  for a person who is in the managing

  conservatorship of the Department of Family and Protective Services

  or another legal entity, a representative of the department or

  other legal entity.

        SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2021.

  ______________________________ ______________________________

    President of the Senate Speaker of the House

        I certify that H.B. No. 1062 was passed by the House on April

  23, 2021, by the following vote:  Yeas 146, Nays 0, 2 present, not

  voting.

  ______________________________

  Chief Clerk of the House

        I certify that H.B. No. 1062 was passed by the Senate on May

  21, 2021, by the following vote:  Yeas 31, Nays 0.

  ______________________________

  Secretary of the Senate

  APPROVED:  _____________________

                    Date

           _____________________

                  Governor