| |
|
|
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
|
|
|
AN ACT
|
|
|
relating to development of a pilot program of the Texas Veterans |
|
|
Commission to designate municipalities as Veteran and Military |
|
|
Friendly Cities. |
|
|
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
|
|
SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 434, Government Code, is |
|
|
amended by adding Section 434.022 to read as follows: |
|
|
Sec. 434.022. PILOT PROGRAM TO DESIGNATE VETERAN AND |
|
|
MILITARY FRIENDLY CITIES. (a) The commission may develop a pilot |
|
|
program to designate qualifying municipalities as Veteran and |
|
|
Military Friendly Cities. The commission may establish the |
|
|
criteria to qualify for a designation under the pilot program |
|
|
developed under this section. |
|
|
(b) The criteria established under Subsection (a) must |
|
|
include an evaluation of a municipality's ability to provide |
|
|
services for veterans and members of the military, taking into |
|
|
consideration the availability in the municipality of: |
|
|
(1) a local or county veterans service office; |
|
|
(2) suitable housing for veterans and members of the |
|
|
military; |
|
|
(3) financial support for veterans and members of the |
|
|
military; |
|
|
(4) employment resources for veterans and members of |
|
|
the military; |
|
|
(5) education and training programs for veterans and |
|
|
members of the military; |
|
|
(6) a veterans court; and |
|
|
(7) access to health care for veterans, including |
|
|
mental health services and mental health services peer-to-peer |
|
|
networks. |
|
|
(c) The commission may accept and review applications for |
|
|
the designation and issue tiered designations, as appropriate. |
|
|
(d) The commission may by rule establish a procedure for |
|
|
discouraging and preventing the misappropriation of the phrase |
|
|
"Veteran and Military Friendly City." |
|
|
(e) The commission shall report the results of the pilot |
|
|
program under this section to the governor, the lieutenant |
|
|
governor, the speaker of the house of representatives, and the |
|
|
committees in both houses of the legislature having jurisdiction |
|
|
over veterans and military issues not later than December 31, 2014. |
|
|
(f) This section expires September 1, 2015. |
|
|
SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2013. |