| |
|
| |
|
|
By: Lucio |
S.B. No. 591 |
|
|
(In the Senate - Filed January 24, 2017; February 8, 2017, |
|
|
read first time and referred to Committee on Veteran Affairs & |
|
|
Border Security; April 24, 2017, reported adversely, with |
|
|
favorable Committee Substitute by the following vote: Yeas 6, |
|
|
Nays 0; April 24, 2017, sent to printer.) |
| Click here to see the committee vote |
| |
|
|
COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR S.B. No. 591 |
By: Lucio |
| |
|
|
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
|
|
|
AN ACT
|
| |
|
|
relating to a community outreach campaign to increase awareness of |
|
|
veterans benefits and services. |
|
|
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
|
|
SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 434, Government Code, is |
|
|
amended by adding Section 434.024 to read as follows: |
|
|
Sec. 434.024. VETERANS COMMUNITY OUTREACH CAMPAIGN. |
|
|
(a) The Texas Veterans Commission shall conduct a community |
|
|
outreach campaign to provide information relating to and increase |
|
|
awareness of benefits and services available to veterans, |
|
|
including: |
|
|
(1) claims assistance services; |
|
|
(2) technology services, including the veterans |
|
|
website under Section 434.102; |
|
|
(3) health, financial, rehabilitation, and housing |
|
|
services; |
|
|
(4) employment and reemployment services; |
|
|
(5) legal services, including the veterans treatment |
|
|
court program under Chapter 124; |
|
|
(6) state and federal education benefits; |
|
|
(7) grants available to veterans; |
|
|
(8) entrepreneurial services under Section 434.022; |
|
|
and |
|
|
(9) mental health services. |
|
|
(b) The community outreach campaign must include outreach |
|
|
efforts at: |
|
|
(1) community centers; |
|
|
(2) places of worship; and |
|
|
(3) any other place in a community where veterans |
|
|
routinely gather, as determined by the commission. |
|
|
(c) The commission shall collaborate with, and may contract |
|
|
with, community-based, nonprofit, or private organizations to |
|
|
implement the community outreach campaign under this section. |
|
|
(d) The commission may solicit and accept gifts and grants |
|
|
to fund the community outreach campaign under this section. |
|
|
SECTION 2. Not later than November 1, 2018, the Texas |
|
|
Veterans Commission shall establish the veterans community |
|
|
outreach campaign as required under Section 434.024, Government |
|
|
Code, as added by this Act, and shall adopt any rules necessary to |
|
|
implement the campaign. |
|
|
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2017. |
|
|
|
|
|
* * * * * |