Texas 2015 - 84th Regular

Texas House Bill HB867 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New		Differences
1		-	By: Hernandez, et al. (Senate Sponsor - Garcia) H.B. No. 867
2		-	(In the Senate - Received from the House May 14, 2015;
3		-	May 15, 2015, read first time and referred to Committee on Veteran
4		-	Affairs and Military Installations; May 21, 2015, reported
5		-	favorably by the following vote: Yeas 7, Nays 0; May 21, 2015,
6		-	sent to printer.)
7		-	Click here to see the committee vote
	1	+	H.B. No. 867
8	2
9	3
10		-	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
11	4		AN ACT
12	5		relating to the establishment and operation of the Texas Women
13	6		Veterans Program.
14	7		BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
15	8		SECTION 1. Chapter 434, Government Code, is amended by
16	9		adding Subchapter E to read as follows:
17	10		SUBCHAPTER E. TEXAS WOMEN VETERANS PROGRAM
18	11		Sec. 434.201. DEFINITIONS. In this subchapter:
19	12		(1) "Commission" means the Texas Veterans Commission.
20	13		(2) "Executive director" means the executive director
21	14		of the commission.
22	15		(3) "Program" means the Texas Women Veterans Program.
23	16		(4) "Woman veteran" means a woman who:
24	17		(A) served on active duty in the armed forces of
25	18		the United States or in the Texas National Guard on federal active
26	19		duty under Title 10, United States Code; and
27	20		(B) was discharged or released from that service
28	21		under conditions other than dishonorable.
29	22		Sec. 434.202. ESTABLISHMENT OF PROGRAM; PROGRAM MISSION.
30	23		(a) The Texas Women Veterans Program is established in the
31	24		commission. The program is attached to the office of the executive
32	25		director for administrative purposes.
33	26		(b) The mission of the program is to ensure that the women
34	27		veterans of this state have equitable access to federal and state
35	28		veterans' benefits and services.
36	29		Sec. 434.203. COORDINATOR. The executive director shall
37	30		designate a women veterans coordinator for this state.
38	31		Sec. 434.204. GENERAL PROGRAM DUTIES. The program shall:
39	32		(1) provide assistance to the women veterans of this
40	33		state as provided by this subchapter;
41	34		(2) perform outreach functions to improve the
42	35		awareness of women veterans of their eligibility for federal and
43	36		state veterans' benefits and services;
44	37		(3) assess the needs of women veterans with respect to
45	38		benefits and services;
46	39		(4) review programs, research projects, and other
47	40		initiatives designed to address the needs of the women veterans of
48	41		this state;
49	42		(5) make recommendations to the executive director
50	43		regarding the improvement of benefits and services to women
51	44		veterans; and
52	45		(6) incorporate issues concerning women veterans in
53	46		commission planning regarding veterans' benefits and services.
54	47		Sec. 434.205. ADVOCACY AND PUBLIC AWARENESS. (a) The
55	48		program shall advocate for women veterans and work to increase
56	49		public awareness about the gender-specific needs of women veterans.
57	50		(b) The program shall recommend legislative initiatives and
58	51		the development of policies on the local, state, and national
59	52		levels to address the issues affecting women veterans.
60	53		Sec. 434.206. COLLABORATION. The program shall collaborate
61	54		with federal, state, county, municipal, and private agencies that
62	55		provide services to women veterans.
63	56		Sec. 434.207. RESEARCH; DISSEMINATION OF INFORMATION. (a)
64	57		The program shall monitor and research issues relating to women
65	58		veterans.
66	59		(b) The program shall disseminate information regarding
67	60		opportunities for women veterans throughout the network of entities
68	61		with which the program collaborates.
69	62		Sec. 434.208. EDUCATION. Through conferences, seminars,
70	63		and training workshops with federal, state, county, municipal, and
71	64		private agencies, the program shall provide guidance and direction
72	65		to a woman veteran who is applying for grants, benefits, or
73	66		services.
74	67		Sec. 434.209. HONOR AND RECOGNITION. The program shall
75	68		promote events and activities that recognize and honor the women
76	69		veterans of this state and women who serve in the military.
77	70		Sec. 434.210. FACILITIES. To the extent funding is
78	71		available for that purpose, the program shall provide facilities as
79	72		appropriate in support of the program.
80	73		Sec. 434.211. FUNDING; GRANTS. On behalf of the program,
81	74		the commission may:
82	75		(1) accept and spend funds:
83	76		(A) appropriated to the commission for the
84	77		operation of the program; and
85	78		(B) received from other sources, including
86	79		donations and grants; and
87	80		(2) provide matching grants to assist in the
88	81		implementation of the program's goals and objectives.
89	82		SECTION 2. Section 434.017(e), Government Code, is amended
90	83		to read as follows:
91	84		(e) To carry out any purpose of this chapter, the commission
92	85		may solicit, accept, or refuse a gift, grant, devise, bequest of
93	86		money, security, service, or property, including money raised or a
94	87		service provided by a volunteer or volunteer group, to promote the
95	88		work of the commission for any purpose related to the fund for
96	89		veterans' assistance. The commission may participate in the
97	90		establishment and operation of an affiliated nonprofit
98	91		organization that is established for the purpose of raising money
99	92		for or providing services or other benefits to the commission or a
100	93		program established in the commission, including the Texas Women
101	94		Veterans Program. A gift, grant, devise, or bequest to the fund may
102	95		be appropriated in the same manner as other money in the fund,
103	96		subject to the purposes provided by Subsection (c) and any
104	97		limitation or requirement placed on the gift, grant, devise, or
105	98		bequest by the donor or granting entity.
106	99		SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
107	100		a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
108	101		provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
109	102		Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
110	103		Act takes effect September 1, 2015.
111		-	* * * * *
	104	+	______________________________ ______________________________
	105	+	President of the Senate Speaker of the House
	106	+	I certify that H.B. No. 867 was passed by the House on May 13,
	107	+	2015, by the following vote: Yeas 122, Nays 24, 2 present, not
	108	+	voting.
	109	+	______________________________
	110	+	Chief Clerk of the House
	111	+	I certify that H.B. No. 867 was passed by the Senate on May
	112	+	28, 2015, by the following vote: Yeas 29, Nays 1.
	113	+	______________________________
	114	+	Secretary of the Senate
	115	+	APPROVED: _____________________
	116	+	Date
	117	+	_____________________
	118	+	Governor