BILL ANALYSIS

Senate Research Center	C.S.S.B. 456
87R18229 ANG-D	By: Lucio
	Veteran Affairs & Border Security
	4/8/2021
	Committee Report (Substituted)

AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT

Veterans county service offices are created by counties to assist veterans with submitting forms to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) as well as serve as a general knowledge bank for veterans in the community.  As the prevalence of veteran treatment courts have increased, these county service offices have also become a vital participant in the process of referring and helping veterans through the process. Funding for these offices is often very limited and some even have a hard time purchasing technology needed to submit claims. 

S.B. 456 adds veterans county service offices to the list of entities to which a juror may donate their daily reimbursement. This extra funding will help with the small purchases an office makes to help facilitate their claims assistance duties and be able to better serve the veterans of their communities.

(Original Author's/ Sponsor's Statement of Intent)

C.S.S.B. 456 amends current law relating to the donation of juror reimbursements.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency.

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1. Amends Sections 61.003(a) and (c), Government Code, as follows:

(a) Requires each person who reports for jury service to be personally provided a form letter that when signed by the person directs the county treasurer to donate all, or a specific amount designated by the person, of the person's daily reimbursement under Chapter 61 (General Provisions) to certain entities, including to a veterans county service office established by the commissioners court as provided by Subchapter B (Veterans County Service Offices), Chapter 434 (Veteran Assistance Agencies). Makes nonsubstantive changes.

(c) Requires the county treasurer to perform certain actions, including to send all donations made under Subsection (a)(3) (relating to programs that provide shelter and services to victims of family violence), (a)(4) (relating to programs that provide psychological counseling in certain criminal cases), or (a)(6) directly to the program or office, as applicable, rather than to send all donations under Subsections (a)(3) or (a)(4) directly to the program, specified on the form letter signed by the person who reported for jury service.

SECTION 2. Amends Section 434.032, Government Code, by adding Subsection (c), as follows:

(c) Provides that the commissioners court of a county that maintains a veterans county service office:

(1) is prohibited from considering a juror�s donation to the office of the juror�s daily reimbursement under Section 61.003 (Donation of Reimbursement) for purposes of determining the county�s budget for the office; and

(2) is authorized to use donations described by Subdivision (1) only to supplement, rather than supplant, amounts budgeted by the county for the office.

SECTION 3. Effective date: September 1, 2021.