87R4987 BDP-D
 
  By: White H.B. No. 2445
 
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to veterans placed on community supervision or confined in
  the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Section 501.024(b), Government Code, is amended
  to read as follows:
         (b)  The department shall:
               (1)  in consultation with the Texas Veterans
  Commission, investigate and verify the veteran status of each
  inmate by using the best available federal data; and
               (2)  use the data described by Subdivision (1) to
  assist inmates who are veterans in applying for:
                     (A)  federal benefits or compensation for which
  the inmates may be eligible under a program administered by the
  United States Department of Veterans Affairs; and
                     (B)  state benefits or compensation for which the
  inmates may be eligible under any state law or program.
         SECTION 2.  Subchapter C, Chapter 501, Government Code, is
  amended by adding Section 501.1021 to read as follows:
         Sec. 501.1021.  REENTRY AND REINTEGRATION SERVICES FOR
  VETERANS. (a) The department shall develop a comprehensive plan to
  ensure the successful reentry and reintegration into the community
  following discharge from the department of offenders whose veteran
  status has been verified by the department under Section
  501.024(b)(1). The reentry and reintegration plan developed under
  this section must utilize all benefits that the offender is
  eligible for as determined by the department under Section
  501.024(b)(2) to provide for the following, as applicable, after
  the offender's discharge:
               (1)  housing;
               (2)  employment;
               (3)  education;
               (4)  financial support for the offender's family; and
               (5)  medical or mental health care.
         (b)  The department may contract with private vendors or
  other entities to implement the comprehensive reentry and
  reintegration plan as required by this section.
         SECTION 3.  Chapter 509, Government Code, is amended by
  adding Section 509.0042 to read as follows:
         Sec. 509.0042.  VETERANS BENEFITS PLAN. The division shall
  require each department to develop and implement a comprehensive
  plan to:
               (1)  determine if a defendant placed on community
  supervision is a veteran; and
               (2)  assist the defendant in obtaining any federal or
  state veterans benefits for which the defendant is eligible to
  provide for the following, as applicable, during the defendant's
  term of community supervision:
                     (A)  housing;
                     (B)  employment;
                     (C)  education;
                     (D)  financial support for the defendant's
  family; and
                     (E)  medical or mental health care.
         SECTION 4.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2021.