| 1 | 1 | | By: West, et al. S.B. No. 1476 |
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| 2 | 2 | | (Sheffield of Bell, Miller of Fort Bend, et al.) |
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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 the creation of the veteran entrepreneur program by the |
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| 8 | 8 | | Texas Veterans Commission. |
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| 9 | 9 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 10 | 10 | | SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 434, Government Code, is |
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| 11 | 11 | | amended by adding Section 434.022 to read as follows: |
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| 12 | 12 | | Sec. 434.022. VETERAN ENTREPRENEUR PROGRAM. (a) In this |
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| 13 | 13 | | section, "veteran" means a person who has served in: |
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| 14 | 14 | | (1) the army, navy, air force, coast guard, or marine |
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| 15 | 15 | | corps of the United States; or |
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| 16 | 16 | | (2) the Texas National Guard as defined by Section |
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| 17 | 17 | | 431.001. |
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| 18 | 18 | | (b) The Texas Veterans Commission by rule shall establish |
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| 19 | 19 | | and implement the veteran entrepreneur program to foster and |
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| 20 | 20 | | promote veteran entrepreneurship and business ownership. |
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| 21 | 21 | | (c) The program shall provide assistance to veteran |
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| 22 | 22 | | entrepreneurs and business owners by: |
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| 23 | 23 | | (1) performing outreach functions to improve veteran |
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| 24 | 24 | | entrepreneurs' and business owners' awareness of federal and state |
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| 25 | 25 | | benefits and services available to those veterans; |
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| 26 | 26 | | (2) assessing the need for benefits and services among |
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| 27 | 27 | | veteran entrepreneurs and business owners; |
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| 28 | 28 | | (3) reviewing and researching programs, projects, and |
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| 29 | 29 | | initiatives designed to address the needs of veteran entrepreneurs |
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| 30 | 30 | | and business owners; |
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| 31 | 31 | | (4) periodically evaluating the effectiveness of the |
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| 32 | 32 | | commission's efforts to assist veteran entrepreneurs and business |
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| 33 | 33 | | owners and making appropriate recommendations to the executive |
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| 34 | 34 | | director of the commission to improve services and assistance |
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| 35 | 35 | | provided to those veterans; |
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| 36 | 36 | | (5) incorporating issues concerning veteran |
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| 37 | 37 | | entrepreneurs and business owners into the commission's plans for |
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| 38 | 38 | | assisting veterans in securing benefits and services; |
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| 39 | 39 | | (6) advocating for veteran entrepreneurs and working |
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| 40 | 40 | | to increase public awareness about the needs of veteran |
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| 41 | 41 | | entrepreneurs and business owners; |
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| 42 | 42 | | (7) recommending legislative initiatives and policies |
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| 43 | 43 | | at the local, state, and national levels to address the issues |
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| 44 | 44 | | affecting veteran entrepreneurship and business ownership; |
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| 45 | 45 | | (8) collaborating with federal, state, and private |
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| 46 | 46 | | agencies that provide services to veteran entrepreneurs and |
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| 47 | 47 | | business owners to allow the veterans to make use of those services; |
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| 48 | 48 | | (9) monitoring and researching issues affecting the |
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| 49 | 49 | | interests of veteran entrepreneurs and business owners; |
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| 50 | 50 | | (10) providing information about opportunities for |
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| 51 | 51 | | veteran entrepreneurs and business owners in the commission's |
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| 52 | 52 | | collaborative network of businesses and organizations; |
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| 53 | 53 | | (11) providing guidance to veteran entrepreneurs and |
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| 54 | 54 | | business owners through conferences, seminars, and training |
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| 55 | 55 | | workshops with federal, state, and private agencies; and |
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| 56 | 56 | | (12) promoting events and activities that recognize or |
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| 57 | 57 | | honor veteran entrepreneurs and business owners. |
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| 58 | 58 | | (d) The executive director of the commission shall appoint a |
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| 59 | 59 | | program coordinator to administer the program. |
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| 60 | 60 | | (e) The commission shall provide facilities as appropriate |
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| 61 | 61 | | in support of the program to the extent funding is available for |
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| 62 | 62 | | that purpose. |
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| 63 | 63 | | SECTION 2. As soon as practicable after the effective date |
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| 64 | 64 | | of this Act, but not later than January 1, 2014, the Texas Veterans |
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| 65 | 65 | | Commission shall adopt rules establishing the veteran entrepreneur |
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| 66 | 66 | | program required by Section 434.022, Government Code, as added by |
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| 67 | 67 | | this Act. |
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| 68 | 68 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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| 69 | 69 | | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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| 70 | 70 | | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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| 71 | 71 | | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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| 72 | 72 | | Act takes effect September 1, 2013. |
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