BILL ANALYSIS

S.B. 1476

By: West

Defense & Veterans' Affairs

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Interested parties assert that a veteran entrepreneur program should be established to perform outreach functions aimed at improving veteran entrepreneurs' and business owners' awareness of federal and state benefits and services. S.B. 1476 seeks to establish a program to provide guidance to veteran entrepreneurs and business owners through conferences, seminars, and training workshops with federal and state agencies, among other activities.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that rulemaking authority is expressly granted to the Texas Veterans Commission in SECTIONS 1 and 2 of this bill.

ANALYSIS

S.B. 1476 amends the Government Code to require the Texas Veterans Commission by rule, as soon as practicable after the bill's effective date but not later than January 1, 2014, to establish  and implement the veteran entrepreneur program to foster and promote veteran entrepreneurship and business ownership. The bill requires the program to provide assistance to veteran entrepreneurs and business owners by performing outreach functions to improve veteran entrepreneurs' and business owners' awareness of available federal and state benefits and services; by assessing the need for benefits and services among veteran entrepreneurs and business owners; by reviewing and researching programs, projects, and initiatives designed to address the needs of veteran entrepreneurs and business owners; by periodically evaluating the effectiveness of the commission's efforts to assist veteran entrepreneurs and business owners and making appropriate recommendations to the executive director of the commission to improve services and assistance provided to those veterans; by incorporating issues concerning veteran entrepreneurs and business owners into the commission's plans for assisting veterans in securing benefits and services; by advocating for veteran entrepreneurs and working to increase public awareness about the needs of veteran entrepreneurs and business owners; by recommending legislative initiatives and policies at the local, state, and national levels to address the issues affecting veteran entrepreneurship and business ownership; by collaborating with federal, state, and private agencies that provide services to veteran entrepreneurs and business owners to allow the veterans to make use of those services; by monitoring and researching issues affecting the interests of veteran entrepreneurs and business owners; by providing information about opportunities for veteran entrepreneurs and business owners in the commission's collaborative network of businesses and organizations; by  providing guidance to veteran entrepreneurs and business owners through conferences, seminars, and training workshops with federal, state, and private agencies; and by promoting events and activities that recognize or honor veteran entrepreneurs and business owners.

S.B. 1476 requires the executive director of the commission to appoint a program coordinator to administer the program and requires the commission to provide facilities as appropriate in support of the program to the extent funding is available for that purpose.  The bill defines veteran for purposes of its provisions as a person who has served in the army, navy, air force, coast guard, or marine corps of the United States or in the Texas National Guard.

EFFECTIVE DATE

On passage, or, if the bill does not receive the necessary vote, September 1, 2013.