By: Lucio S.B. No. 1679
(Gutierrez)
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to the use of the fund for veterans' assistance to provide
grants to support veterans county service offices.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Section 434.017, Government Code, is amended by
adding Subsection (c-3) and amending Subsection (d) to read as
follows:
(c-3) In making the grants required under Subsection (c),
the Texas Veterans Commission shall use at least five percent of the
money appropriated to the commission under that subsection in each
state fiscal year to provide grants to veterans county service
offices created as provided by Section 434.032. A veterans county
service office that receives a grant under Subsection (c) shall use
the money to provide direct assistance and services to veterans
residing in the county served by that office. On July 1 of each
state fiscal year, if the commission has not received sufficient
grant requests from veterans county service offices to make grants
to the offices in the amount of five percent of the money
appropriated to the commission under Subsection (c) in that state
fiscal year, the commission may use any amount of the five percent
remaining on that date for any purpose authorized under that
subsection. This subsection may not be construed to prevent the
commission from using more than five percent of the money
appropriated to the commission under Subsection (c) to provide
grants to veterans county service offices.
(d) The Texas Veterans Commission may adopt rules governing
the award of grants by the commission under this section. The
commission shall adopt rules governing the award of grants to
veterans county service offices under Subsection (c-3).
SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2017.