| 6 | 4 | | AN ACT |
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| 7 | 5 | | relating to required training for veterans county service officers |
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| 8 | 6 | | and assistant veterans county service officers. |
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| 9 | 7 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 10 | 8 | | SECTION 1. Sections 434.038(a), (b), (c), and (e), |
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| 11 | 9 | | Government Code, are amended to read as follows: |
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| 12 | 10 | | (a) An officer shall, within the time after the date of the |
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| 13 | 11 | | officer's appointment that the commission prescribes, complete a |
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| 14 | 12 | | course of initial training provided by the Texas Veterans |
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| 15 | 13 | | Commission or approved under Subsection (e)(5). The commission |
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| 16 | 14 | | shall issue the officer a certificate of training after completion |
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| 17 | 15 | | of all [the] initial training requirements established by the |
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| 18 | 16 | | commission under this section [course]. To maintain certification, |
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| 19 | 17 | | the officer shall complete continuing training [to the extent] |
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| 20 | 18 | | required by the commission that is approved under Subsection (e)(5) |
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| 21 | 19 | | or provided by the commission. An officer must maintain |
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| 22 | 20 | | certification to remain in office. |
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| 23 | 21 | | (b) The commission may [shall] provide, at commission |
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| 24 | 22 | | expense, the initial and continuing training required by this |
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| 25 | 23 | | section at least once each year. If state funds are appropriated |
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| 26 | 24 | | for that purpose, the commission shall reimburse an officer's |
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| 27 | 25 | | travel and lodging expenses incurred in attending training provided |
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| 28 | 26 | | by the commission. The commission shall make the reimbursement in |
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| 29 | 27 | | the manner prescribed for the reimbursement of these expenses to |
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| 30 | 28 | | state employees. |
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| 31 | 29 | | (c) The commissioners court of an officer's county shall |
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| 32 | 30 | | reimburse an officer's travel and lodging expenses incurred in |
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| 33 | 31 | | attending [commission] training required under this section that is |
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| 34 | 32 | | approved under Subsection (e)(5) [unless state funds are |
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| 35 | 33 | | appropriated for that purpose. If state funds are appropriated, |
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| 36 | 34 | | the commission shall make the reimbursement in the manner |
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| 37 | 35 | | prescribed for the reimbursement of these expenses to state |
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| 38 | 36 | | employees]. |
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| 39 | 37 | | (e) The commission shall: |
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| 40 | 38 | | (1) maintain course materials and examinations in a |
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| 41 | 39 | | central location and provide county service offices and commission |
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| 42 | 40 | | field staff with access to the course materials on the commission's |
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| 43 | 41 | | Internet website; |
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| 44 | 42 | | (2) regularly update course materials, training |
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| 45 | 43 | | curriculum, and examinations after consulting with: |
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| 46 | 44 | | (A) the United States Department of Veterans |
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| 47 | 45 | | Affairs to ensure the course materials, training curriculum, and |
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| 48 | 46 | | examinations are accurate and meet applicable United States |
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| 49 | 47 | | Department of Veterans Affairs requirements; and |
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| 50 | 48 | | (B) accredited county service officers to ensure |
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| 51 | 49 | | the materials, training curriculum, and examinations include |
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| 52 | 50 | | issues developing at the county level; |
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| 53 | 51 | | (3) develop a training handbook containing |
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| 54 | 52 | | instruction and case studies addressing: |
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| 55 | 53 | | (A) general assistance techniques, including how |
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| 56 | 54 | | to provide general information regarding state and federal benefits |
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| 57 | 55 | | and referrals for other services and to other agencies, and general |
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| 58 | 56 | | information regarding state and federal benefits; |
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| 59 | 57 | | (B) basic counseling approaches for assisting |
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| 60 | 58 | | veterans, their family members, and other eligible dependents |
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| 61 | 59 | | filing benefit claims; |
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| 62 | 60 | | (C) basic information on United States |
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| 63 | 61 | | Department of Veterans Affairs processes and procedures, including |
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| 64 | 62 | | how to accurately complete claims and appeals forms and how to |
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| 65 | 63 | | support claims; |
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| 66 | 64 | | (D) methods of collecting required documentation |
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| 67 | 65 | | and developing claims and appeals; |
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| 68 | 66 | | (E) methods of documenting progress and updating |
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| 69 | 67 | | a veteran's, a veteran's family member's, or another eligible |
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| 70 | 68 | | dependent's case information; |
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| 71 | 69 | | (F) methods of assisting veterans, their family |
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| 72 | 70 | | members, or other eligible dependents in pursuing appeals, |
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| 73 | 71 | | including offering case knowledge in appeals hearings; and |
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| 74 | 72 | | (G) methods of representing veterans, their |
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| 75 | 73 | | family members, or other eligible dependents during appeals |
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| 76 | 74 | | hearings; [and] |
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| 77 | 75 | | (4) coordinate with the Department of State Health |
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| 78 | 76 | | Services to incorporate a suicide prevention component as part of |
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| 79 | 77 | | the accreditation training and examination; and |
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| 80 | 78 | | (5) approve training provided by public or private |
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| 81 | 79 | | entities to fulfill initial and continuing training requirements |
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| 82 | 80 | | established by the commission under this section. |
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| 83 | 81 | | SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2017. |
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