| 1 | 1 | | 81R9546 MCK-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Farabee H.B. No. 2849 |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 6 | 6 | | AN ACT |
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| 7 | 7 | | relating to creating an identification card for veterans. |
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| 8 | 8 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 9 | 9 | | SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 434, Government Code, is |
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| 10 | 10 | | amended by adding Section 434.019 to read as follows: |
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| 11 | 11 | | Sec. 434.019. MILITARY VETERAN IDENTIFICATION CARDS. (a) |
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| 12 | 12 | | In this section: |
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| 13 | 13 | | (1) "Commission" means the Texas Veterans Commission. |
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| 14 | 14 | | (2) "Veteran" means a person who: |
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| 15 | 15 | | (A) has served in: |
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| 16 | 16 | | (i) the army, navy, air force, coast guard, |
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| 17 | 17 | | or marine corps of the United States; or |
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| 18 | 18 | | (ii) the state military forces as defined |
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| 19 | 19 | | by Section 431.001; and |
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| 20 | 20 | | (B) has been honorably discharged from the branch |
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| 21 | 21 | | of the service in which the person served. |
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| 22 | 22 | | (b) The commission shall issue an identification card to |
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| 23 | 23 | | each veteran in the state who: |
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| 24 | 24 | | (1) applies for an identification card; and |
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| 25 | 25 | | (2) provides proof of the person's military service as |
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| 26 | 26 | | described by Subsection (a)(2), including proof of the veteran's |
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| 27 | 27 | | honorable discharge. |
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| 28 | 28 | | (c) The identification card must include: |
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| 29 | 29 | | (1) the full name of the veteran; |
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| 30 | 30 | | (2) a photograph of the veteran consistent with the |
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| 31 | 31 | | veteran's appearance; |
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| 32 | 32 | | (3) the branch of the armed forces in which the veteran |
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| 33 | 33 | | served; |
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| 34 | 34 | | (4) the signature of the executive director of the |
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| 35 | 35 | | Texas Veterans Commission; |
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| 36 | 36 | | (5) a brief description of the veteran, including the |
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| 37 | 37 | | veteran's height, weight, and eye color; |
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| 38 | 38 | | (6) the thumbprint of the veteran or a bar code with a |
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| 39 | 39 | | unique identification label for the veteran; |
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| 40 | 40 | | (7) the date the card was issued to the veteran; and |
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| 41 | 41 | | (8) a phone number operational 24 hours a day, seven |
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| 42 | 42 | | days a week that a person may call to verify the validity of the |
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| 43 | 43 | | identification card. |
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| 44 | 44 | | (d) On the identification card, the commission shall print: |
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| 45 | 45 | | (1) "State of Texas" and the state seal; and |
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| 46 | 46 | | (2) "This identification card certifies that (insert |
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| 47 | 47 | | name of veteran) is an honorably discharged veteran who served in |
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| 48 | 48 | | the armed forces." |
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| 49 | 49 | | (e) An identification card issued under this section |
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| 50 | 50 | | expires on a date specified by the commission. |
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| 51 | 51 | | (f) An identification card issued under this section must |
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| 52 | 52 | | be, to the extent practicable, tamper-proof. |
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| 53 | 53 | | (g) If an identification card issued under this section is |
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| 54 | 54 | | lost or stolen, the commission may: |
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| 55 | 55 | | (1) require a veteran to submit an affidavit executed |
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| 56 | 56 | | by the veteran that the identification card was lost or stolen; and |
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| 57 | 57 | | (2) issue a duplicate identification card to the |
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| 58 | 58 | | veteran. |
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| 59 | 59 | | (h) The commission may adopt rules to administer this |
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| 60 | 60 | | section. |
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| 61 | 61 | | SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2009. |
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