| 3 | 2 | | |
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| 4 | 3 | | |
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| 5 | 4 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 6 | 5 | | AN ACT |
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| 7 | 6 | | relating to outreach and awareness for women veterans in this |
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| 8 | 7 | | state. |
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| 9 | 8 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 10 | 9 | | SECTION 1. Subchapter E, Chapter 434, Government Code, is |
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| 11 | 10 | | amended by adding Sections 434.212 and 434.213 to read as follows: |
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| 12 | 11 | | Sec. 434.212. WOMEN VETERANS REPORT. Not later than |
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| 13 | 12 | | November 1 of each even-numbered year, the commission shall submit |
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| 14 | 13 | | to the governor, lieutenant governor, and legislature a report on |
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| 15 | 14 | | women veterans in this state. The report may be delivered |
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| 16 | 15 | | electronically and must: |
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| 17 | 16 | | (1) estimate the: |
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| 18 | 17 | | (A) number of women veterans in this state; |
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| 19 | 18 | | (B) number of women veterans who contact the |
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| 20 | 19 | | commission for assistance; and |
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| 21 | 20 | | (C) number of women veterans who receive |
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| 22 | 21 | | assistance from the commission, the Texas Workforce Commission, the |
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| 23 | 22 | | Department of State Health Services, and other state agencies; |
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| 24 | 23 | | (2) identify the unique problems faced by women |
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| 25 | 24 | | veterans; and |
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| 26 | 25 | | (3) recommend policy proposals, initiatives, and |
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| 27 | 26 | | funding levels to address the problems identified in Subdivision |
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| 28 | 27 | | (2). |
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| 29 | 28 | | Sec. 434.213. WOMEN VETERANS COMMUNITY OUTREACH CAMPAIGN. |
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| 30 | 29 | | The women veterans coordinator designated under Section 434.203, in |
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| 31 | 30 | | consultation with the Governor's Commission for Women, the United |
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| 32 | 31 | | States Department of Veterans Affairs, and any other appropriate |
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| 33 | 32 | | agency, shall conduct a community outreach campaign to: |
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| 34 | 33 | | (1) provide information relating to and increase |
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| 35 | 34 | | awareness of benefits and services available to women veterans; |
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| 36 | 35 | | (2) improve access to benefits and services for women |
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| 37 | 36 | | veterans; |
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| 38 | 37 | | (3) increase participation of women veterans in |
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| 39 | 38 | | programs that provide benefits and services; |
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| 40 | 39 | | (4) provide information on the significant |
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| 41 | 40 | | contributions of women veterans in this state; and |
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| 42 | 41 | | (5) provide information relating to and increase |
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| 43 | 42 | | awareness of support groups and other organizations relating to |
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| 44 | 43 | | family services, including services for women veterans who are |
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| 45 | 44 | | single parents. |
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| 46 | 45 | | SECTION 2. Not later than November 1, 2018, the women |
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| 47 | 46 | | veterans coordinator shall establish the women veterans community |
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| 48 | 47 | | outreach campaign as required under Section 434.213, Government |
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| 49 | 48 | | Code, as added by this Act, and the Texas Veterans Commission shall |
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| 50 | 49 | | adopt any rules necessary to implement the campaign. |
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| 51 | 50 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2017. |
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