By: Zaffirini S.B. No. 2047
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to pro bono legal services for veterans and service
  members.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Section 434.017(c), Government Code, is amended
  to read as follows:
         (c)  Money in the fund may only be appropriated to the Texas
  Veterans Commission.  Money appropriated under this subsection
  shall be used to:
               (1)  make grants to address veterans' needs;
               (2)  make grants to provide pro bono legal services to
  veterans, active duty members of the United States armed forces,
  and members of the state military forces;
               (3)  administer the fund; and
               (4) [(3)]  analyze and investigate data received from
  the federal Public Assistance Reporting Information System (PARIS)
  that is administered by the Administration for Children and
  Families of the United States Department of Health and Human
  Services.
         SECTION 2.  Section 434.0171, Government Code, is amended to
  read as follows:
         Sec. 434.0171.  STATE EMPLOYEE CONTRIBUTIONS TO FUND FOR
  VETERANS' ASSISTANCE. For purposes of Subchapter I, Chapter 659:
               (1)  the Texas Veterans Commission, for the sole
  purpose of managing the fund for veterans' assistance, is
  considered an eligible charitable organization entitled to
  participate in the state employee charitable campaign; and
               (2)  a state employee is entitled to authorize a
  deduction for contributions to the Texas Veterans Commission for
  the purposes of managing the fund for veterans' assistance as a
  charitable contribution under Section 659.132, and the Texas
  Veterans Commission may use the contributions for the purposes
  listed in Section 434.017(c)[, as redesignated and amended by
  Chapter 1418 (H.B. 3107), Acts of the 80th Legislature, Regular
  Session, 2007].
         SECTION 3.  Section 434.154(a), Government Code, is amended
  to read as follows:
         (a)  The council may, by majority vote, establish the
  following coordinating workgroups to focus on specific issues
  affecting veterans, servicemembers, and their families:
               (1)  health;
               (2)  mental health;
               (3)  employment;
               (4)  higher education;
               (5)  criminal justice;
               (6)  housing;
               (7)  transportation;
               (8)  women veterans;
               (9)  pro bono legal services for veterans, including
  opportunities and obstacles for providing those services; and
               (10) [(9)]  any other coordinating workgroup
  considered necessary.
         SECTION 4.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2019.