Texas 2009 - 81st Regular

Texas Senate Bill SB1538 Compare Versions

The same version is selected twice. Please select two different versions to compare.

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New	Differences
1	1	By: Van de Putte, DavisShapleigh S.B. No. 1538
2	2	Shapleigh
3	3
4	4
5	5	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
6	6	AN ACT
7	7	relating to establishing veterans resource centers at certain
8	8	institutions of higher education.
9	9	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
10	10	SECTION 1. Chapter 434, Government Code, is amended by
11	11	adding Subchapter D to read as follows:
12	12	SUBCHAPTER D. VETERANS RESOURCE CENTERS
13	13	Sec. 434.151. DEFINITIONS. In this subchapter:
14	14	(1) "Commission" means the Texas Veterans Commission.
15	15	(2) "Education regions" means the education regions in
16	16	this state established by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating
17	17	Board.
18	18	(3) "Institution of higher education" has the meaning
19	19	assigned by Section 61.003, Education Code.
20	20	Sec. 434.152. VETERANS RESOURCE CENTERS. The commission
21	21	shall administer a veterans resource center in at least one
22	22	institution of higher education in each region specified in Section
23	23	434.153 to:
24	24	(1) provide a centralized place for veterans to find
25	25	assistance and information while enrolled at an institution of
26	26	higher education;
27	27	(2) deliver innovative, cost-effective programs to
28	28	attract veterans and family members of veterans to attend public
29	29	institutions of higher education;
30	30	(3) enable institutions of higher education to create
31	31	veteran-friendly environments;
32	32	(4) encourage veterans to take advantage of government
33	33	educational programs; and
34	34	(5) assist veterans in applying to public institutions
35	35	of higher education.
36	36	Sec. 434.153. LOCATIONS OF CENTERS. The commission shall
37	37	operate 15 veterans resource centers throughout the state with at
38	38	least one veterans resource center located in each of the following
39	39	higher education regions:
40	40	(1) High Plains Region;
41	41	(2) Northwest Texas Region;
42	42	(3) Metroplex Region;
43	43	(4) Upper East Texas Region;
44	44	(5) Southeast Texas Region;
45	45	(6) Gulf Coast Region;
46	46	(7) Central Texas Region;
47	47	(8) South Texas Region;
48	48	(9) West Texas Region; and
49	49	(10) Upper Rio Grande Region.
50	50	Sec. 434.154. DUTIES OF INSTITUTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION.
51	51	Each institution of higher education that has a veterans resource
52	52	center shall enter into a memorandum of understanding with the
53	53	commission. The memorandum of understanding must require the
54	54	institution of higher education to provide and bear the cost of the
55	55	following:
56	56	(1) office space on the campus of the institution of
57	57	higher education that is accessible to disabled persons and
58	58	complies with any applicable federal and state law; and
59	59	(2) office equipment, telephone equipment and
60	60	service, computer equipment, and Internet access.
61	61	Sec. 434.155. PROGRAM MANAGER. The commission shall employ
62	62	a program manager to administer the veterans resource center
63	63	program. The program manager shall:
64	64	(1) provide leadership, training, support, and
65	65	overall management of the veterans resource center program;
66	66	(2) evaluate the effectiveness of veterans resource
67	67	centers in identifying the services required by veterans to
68	68	optimize the success of veterans and their families in obtaining a
69	69	college education and in providing those services;
70	70	(3) supervise the regional veterans resource
71	71	counselors;
72	72	(4) prepare an annual budget;
73	73	(5) monitor the outcomes of the veterans resource
74	74	center program;
75	75	(6) using data provided by the Texas Higher Education
76	76	Coordinating Board, produce an annual report on veterans'
77	77	attendance at public institutions of higher education;
78	78	(7) apply to private organizations and foundations for
79	79	grant funding or other support that complements the objectives of
80	80	the program; and
81	81	(8) perform any other task as required by the
82	82	commission.
83	83	Sec. 434.156. REGIONAL VETERANS RESOURCE COUNSELORS.
84	84	(a) The commission shall employ a regional veterans resource
85	85	counselor for each education region to oversee the veterans
86	86	resource center or centers located in the region.
87	87	(b) A regional veterans resource counselor shall maintain
88	88	an office at a veterans resource center at an institution of higher
89	89	education located in the region served by the veterans resource
90	90	counselor.
91	91	(c) Each regional veterans resource counselor shall:
92	92	(1) visit the institutions of higher education located
93	93	in the education region served by the veterans resource counselor;
94	94	(2) work with those institutions of higher education
95	95	to:
96	96	(A) create a hospitable and supportive
97	97	environment for veterans;
98	98	(B) enhance awareness of and encourage
99	99	participation in veterans educational programs and commission
100	100	programs providing other services to veterans, including
101	101	employment and claims assistance services;
102	102	(C) develop programs providing ancillary
103	103	assistance to veterans based on the unique needs of veterans and
104	104	their families;
105	105	(D) ensure that veterans successfully complete
106	106	their education; and
107	107	(E) promote the establishment of a student
108	108	veterans group on each campus in the region;
109	109	(3) work with local, state, and national veterans
110	110	groups, including the Veterans of Foreign Wars and the American
111	111	Legion, to promote educational opportunities and benefits to the
112	112	veteran population in the education region;
113	113	(4) work with local workforce development boards to:
114	114	(A) ensure that veterans counselors are aware of
115	115	available nontraditional educational opportunities, including
116	116	on-the-job training programs and apprenticeships; and
117	117	(B) advise employers in the region of potential
118	118	opportunities to create on-the-job training programs for veterans;
119	119	(5) work with education services officers at military
120	120	installations to encourage active duty members of the armed forces
121	121	of the United States and veterans to use federal and state
122	122	educational benefits;
123	123	(6) create and manage publicity campaigns in concert
124	124	with the commission and institutions of higher education in the
125	125	education region to promote the use of education benefits under the
126	126	federal Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2008 (38
127	127	U.S.C. Section 3301 et seq.), the Hazlewood tuition exemption
128	128	program for veterans and their dependents under Section 54.203,
129	129	Education Code, and any other education benefit for veterans or
130	130	their dependents under federal or state law;
131	131	(7) support programs to assist combat veteran students
132	132	in readjusting and reintegrating into a noncombat environment;
133	133	(8) maintain statistical information regarding
134	134	demographics of veterans assisted, application success, program
135	135	completion rates, drop-out rates, and reasons for success or
136	136	failure, as appropriate; and
137	137	(9) perform other activities, as assigned by the
138	138	commission, to enhance the educational opportunities of veterans
139	139	and their family members in the education region and throughout the
140	140	state.
141	141	Sec. 434.157. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY. The commission may
142	142	adopt rules to implement this subchapter.
143	143	SECTION 2. This Act does not make an appropriation. A
144	144	provision in this Act that creates a new governmental program,
145	145	creates a new entitlement, or imposes a new duty on a governmental
146	146	entity is not mandatory during a fiscal period for which the
147	147	legislature has not made a specific appropriation to implement the
148	148	provision.
149	149	SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
150	150	a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
151	151	provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
152	152	Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
153	153	Act takes effect September 1, 2009.