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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to establishing a veterans services coordinator for the |
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Texas Department of Criminal Justice and a veterans rehabilitation |
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dorm program for certain state jail defendants confined by the |
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department. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 501, Government Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 501.025 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 501.025. VETERANS SERVICES COORDINATOR. (a) The |
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department shall establish a veterans services coordinator to |
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coordinate responses to the needs of veterans under the supervision |
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of the department, including veterans who are released on parole or |
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mandatory supervision. The veterans services coordinator, with the |
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cooperation of the community justice assistance division, shall |
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provide information to community supervision and corrections |
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departments to help those departments coordinate responses to the |
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needs of veterans placed on community supervision. The veterans |
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services coordinator shall coordinate veterans' services for all of |
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the department's divisions. |
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(b) The veterans services coordinator, in collaboration |
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with the attorney general's office, shall provide each incarcerated |
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veteran a child support modification application. |
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SECTION 2. Subchapter B, Chapter 507, Government Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 507.034 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 507.034. VETERANS REHABILITATION DORM PROGRAM. (a) |
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The department shall establish a voluntary rehabilitation and |
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transition program for defendants confined in state jail felony |
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facilities: |
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(1) who are veterans of the United States armed |
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forces, including veterans of the reserves, national guard, or |
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state guard; and |
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(2) who suffer from a brain injury, a mental illness, a |
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mental disorder, including post-traumatic stress disorder, or |
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substance abuse that: |
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(A) occurred during or resulted from their |
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military service; and |
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(B) may have contributed to their criminal |
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activity. |
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(b) The program must: |
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(1) house defendants participating in the program in |
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housing that is designed to mimic the squadron structure familiar |
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to veterans; |
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(2) provide rehabilitation programming in developing |
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healthy relationships, anger management techniques, and substance |
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abuse treatment; and |
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(3) to the extent feasible, not later than the 30th day |
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before the date a defendant participating in the program is |
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released or discharged from the department: |
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(A) match the defendant with a Military Veteran |
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Peer Network peer service coordinator to assist the defendant in |
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transitioning into the community; and |
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(B) transfer the defendant to a state jail felony |
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facility located near the defendant's home community, or the |
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community in which the defendant intends to reside after the |
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defendant's release or discharge, to begin establishing transition |
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relationships with the peer service coordinator and family members. |
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SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2017. |