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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the creation of the Texas Veterans County Service |
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Officer Task Force. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Subchapter B, Chapter 434, Government Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 434.040 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 434.040. TEXAS VETERANS COUNTY SERVICE OFFICER TASK |
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FORCE. (a) In this section: |
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(1) "Rural county" means a county with a population of |
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less than 200,000. |
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(2) "Task force" means the Texas Veterans County |
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Service Officer Task Force. |
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(3) "Urban county" means a county with a population of |
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200,000 or more. |
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(b) The Texas Veterans County Service Officer Task Force is |
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established to study the impact and efficacy of officers in this |
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state. |
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(c) The task force is composed of the following nine |
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members: |
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(1) the chair of the House Committee on Defense and |
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Veterans' Affairs; |
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(2) the chair of the Senate Committee on Veteran |
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Affairs and Border Security; |
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(3) a representative of the commission; |
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(4) the chair of the Veterans County Service Officer |
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Advisory Committee; |
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(5) a representative of the Texas Coalition of |
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Veterans Organizations; |
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(6) an officer representing a rural county selected by |
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the chair of the House Committee on Defense and Veterans' Affairs; |
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(7) an officer representing an urban county selected |
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by the chair of the House Committee on Defense and Veterans' |
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Affairs; |
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(8) an officer representing a rural county selected by |
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the chair of the Senate Committee on Veteran Affairs and Border |
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Security; and |
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(9) an officer representing an urban county selected |
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by the chair of the Senate Committee on Veteran Affairs and Border |
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Security. |
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(d) The chairs of the House Committee on Defense and |
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Veterans' Affairs and Senate Committee on Veteran Affairs and |
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Border Security serve as co-chairs of the task force. |
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(e) A recommendation of the task force must be approved by a |
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majority vote of the members of the task force. |
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(f) Each member of the task force has one vote. |
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(g) The task force shall: |
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(1) examine the role and duties of officers in each |
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county; |
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(2) identify the regions of this state that are in need |
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of officers; and |
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(3) determine types and levels of support needed from |
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this state in order for officers to appropriately advocate for the |
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veterans served by the officers. |
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(h) Not later than December 1, 2022, the commission shall |
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prepare and submit a report based on recommendations of the task |
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force regarding the issues described in Subsection (g) to the |
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Senate Committee on Veteran Affairs and Border Security and House |
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Committee on Defense and Veterans' Affairs. The report must be |
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approved by a majority vote of the members of the task force. |
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(i) This section expires January 1, 2023. |
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SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2021. |