85R7337 MTB-D
By: Guillen H.B. No. 2154
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to required training for veterans county service officers
and assistant veterans county service officers.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Section 434.007, Government Code, is amended to
read as follows:
Sec. 434.007. DUTIES. The commission shall:
(1) compile federal, state, and local laws enacted to
benefit members of the armed forces, veterans, and their families
and dependents;
(2) collect information relating to services and
facilities available to veterans;
(3) cooperate with veterans service agencies in the
state;
(4) inform members and veterans of the armed forces,
their families and dependents, and military and civilian
authorities about the existence or availability of:
(A) educational training and retraining
facilities;
(B) health, medical, rehabilitation, and housing
services and facilities;
(C) employment and reemployment services;
(D) provisions of federal, state, and local law
affording rights, privileges, and benefits to members and veterans
of the armed forces and their families and dependents; and
(E) other similar, related, or appropriate
matters;
(5) assist veterans and their families and dependents
in presenting, proving, and establishing claims, privileges,
rights, and benefits they may have under federal, state, or local
law;
(6) cooperate with all government and private agencies
securing services or benefits to veterans and their families and
dependents;
(7) investigate, and if possible correct, abuses or
exploitation of veterans or their families or dependents, and
recommend necessary legislation for full correction;
(8) coordinate the services and activities of state
departments and divisions having services and resources affecting
veterans or their families or dependents;
(9) approve a provider of [provide] training for and
certify [certification of] veterans county service officers and
assistant veterans county service officers in accordance with
Section 434.038;
(10) through surveys or other reasonable and accurate
methods of estimation, collect and maintain for each county in the
state the number of servicemembers and veterans residing in the
county and annually update and publish the information on the
commission's website; and
(11) with the assistance and cooperation of the
comptroller, inform and assist veterans and their families and
dependents with respect to discovering and initiating claims for
unclaimed property held by the United States Department of Veterans
Affairs.
SECTION 2. Section 434.038, Government Code, is amended to
read as follows:
Sec. 434.038. TRAINING AND CERTIFICATION. (a) An officer
shall, within the time after the date of the officer's appointment
that the commission prescribes, complete a course of initial
training [provided by the Texas Veterans Commission]. The
commission shall issue the officer a certificate of training after
completion of the initial training course. To maintain
certification, the officer shall complete continuing training to
the extent required by the commission. An officer must maintain
certification to remain in office.
(a-1) Initial and continuing training required under this
section shall be provided by a public or private entity approved by
the commission under Subsection (d) [The commission shall develop
and implement methods for providing training to officers. The
methods may include Internet-based seminars, participation through
videoconference, cooperation with training provided by the United
States Department of Veterans Affairs, and other methods as
appropriate].
(b) [The commission shall provide, at commission expense,
the initial and continuing training required by this section at
least once each year.
[(c)] The commissioners court of an officer's county shall
reimburse an officer's travel and lodging expenses incurred in
attending [commission] training required under this section unless
state funds are appropriated for that purpose. If state funds are
appropriated, the commission shall make the reimbursement in the
manner prescribed for the reimbursement of these expenses to state
employees.
(c) [(d)] The commission shall develop [standard course
materials,] training curriculum[,] and examinations to be used for
county service officer certification and United States Department
of Veterans Affairs accreditation.
(d) [(e)] The commission shall:
(1) maintain [course materials and] examinations in a
central location [and provide county service offices and commission
field staff with access to the course materials on the commission's
Internet website];
(2) regularly update [course materials,] training
curriculum[,] and examinations after consulting with:
(A) the United States Department of Veterans
Affairs to ensure the [course materials,] training curriculum[,]
and examinations are accurate and meet applicable United States
Department of Veterans Affairs requirements; and
(B) accredited county service officers to ensure
the [materials,] training curriculum[,] and examinations include
issues developing at the county level;
(3) develop a training handbook containing
instruction and case studies addressing:
(A) general assistance techniques, including how
to provide general information regarding state and federal benefits
and referrals for other services and to other agencies, and general
information regarding state and federal benefits;
(B) basic counseling approaches for assisting
veterans, their family members, and other eligible dependents
filing benefit claims;
(C) basic information on United States
Department of Veterans Affairs processes and procedures, including
how to accurately complete claims and appeals forms and how to
support claims;
(D) methods of collecting required documentation
and developing claims and appeals;
(E) methods of documenting progress and updating
a veteran's, a veteran's family member's, or another eligible
dependent's case information;
(F) methods of assisting veterans, their family
members, or other eligible dependents in pursuing appeals,
including offering case knowledge in appeals hearings; and
(G) methods of representing veterans, their
family members, or other eligible dependents during appeals
hearings; [and]
(4) coordinate with the Department of State Health
Services to incorporate a suicide prevention component as part of
the accreditation training curriculum and examination; and
(5) approve a public or private entity that is
accredited by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs to
provide initial and continuing training required under this
section.
(e) [(f)] The commission may establish rules to carry out
the purposes of this section, including rules regarding carryover
of credit for extra course attendance from one year into subsequent
years and the anniversary date by which the continuing
certification requirement must be met.
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2017.