This website will be unavailable from Friday, April 26, 2024 at 6:00 p.m. through Monday, April 29, 2024 at 7:00 a.m. due to data center maintenance.

BILL ANALYSIS

 

 

 

S.B. 2104

By: Zaffirini

Defense & Veterans' Affairs

Committee Report (Unamended)

 

 

 

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

 

Texas veterans county service officers play an important role for the state's veteran population, but counties are burdened with funding this vital service. In consideration of concerns addressed during numerous stakeholder meetings, S.B. 2104 seeks to establish the Texas Veterans County Service Officer Task Force to collect information and recommend how to best leverage the services provided by these officers.

 

CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT

 

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.

 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

 

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.

 

ANALYSIS

 

S.B. 2104 amends the Government Code to establish the Texas Veterans County Service Officer Task Force to study the impact and efficacy of veterans county service officers in Texas. The bill sets out the composition of the task force and provides for its co-chairs. The bill requires the task force to examine the role and duties of veterans county service officers in each county, identify the regions of Texas that are in need of officers, and determine types and levels of state support needed in order for officers to appropriately advocate for the veterans they serve.

 

S.B. 2104 requires the Texas Veterans Commission to prepare and submit, not later than December 1, 2020, a report based on the task force's recommendations regarding those issues to the Senate Committee on Veteran Affairs and Border Security and the House Committee on Defense and Veterans' Affairs. The bill requires the report and the recommendations to be approved by a majority vote of the task force members and establishes that each member has one vote. The bill's provisions expire January 1, 2021.

 

EFFECTIVE DATE

 

September 1, 2019.