| 6 | 4 | | AN ACT |
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| 7 | 5 | | relating to a community outreach campaign to increase awareness of |
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| 8 | 6 | | veterans benefits and services. |
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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. Subchapter A, Chapter 434, Government Code, is |
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| 11 | 9 | | amended by adding Section 434.024 to read as follows: |
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| 12 | 10 | | Sec. 434.024. VETERANS COMMUNITY OUTREACH CAMPAIGN. |
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| 13 | 11 | | (a) The Texas Veterans Commission shall conduct a community |
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| 14 | 12 | | outreach campaign to provide information relating to and increase |
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| 15 | 13 | | awareness of benefits and services available to veterans, |
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| 16 | 14 | | including: |
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| 17 | 15 | | (1) claims assistance services; |
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| 18 | 16 | | (2) technology services, including the veterans |
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| 19 | 17 | | website under Section 434.102; |
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| 20 | 18 | | (3) health, financial, rehabilitation, and housing |
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| 21 | 19 | | services; |
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| 22 | 20 | | (4) employment and reemployment services; |
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| 23 | 21 | | (5) legal services, including the veterans treatment |
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| 24 | 22 | | court program under Chapter 124; |
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| 25 | 23 | | (6) state and federal education benefits; |
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| 26 | 24 | | (7) grants available to veterans; |
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| 27 | 25 | | (8) entrepreneurial services under Section 434.022; |
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| 28 | 26 | | and |
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| 29 | 27 | | (9) mental health services. |
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| 30 | 28 | | (b) The community outreach campaign must include outreach |
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| 31 | 29 | | efforts at: |
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| 32 | 30 | | (1) community centers; |
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| 33 | 31 | | (2) places of worship; and |
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| 34 | 32 | | (3) any other place in a community where veterans |
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| 35 | 33 | | routinely gather, as determined by the commission. |
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| 36 | 34 | | (c) The commission shall collaborate with, and may contract |
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| 37 | 35 | | with, community-based, nonprofit, or private organizations to |
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| 38 | 36 | | implement the community outreach campaign under this section. |
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| 39 | 37 | | (d) The commission may solicit and accept gifts and grants |
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| 40 | 38 | | to fund the community outreach campaign under this section. |
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| 41 | 39 | | SECTION 2. Not later than November 1, 2018, the Texas |
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| 42 | 40 | | Veterans Commission shall establish the veterans community |
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| 43 | 41 | | outreach campaign as required under Section 434.024, Government |
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| 44 | 42 | | Code, as added by this Act, and shall adopt any rules necessary to |
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| 45 | 43 | | implement the campaign. |
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| 46 | 44 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2017. |
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| 45 | + | ______________________________ ______________________________ |
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| 46 | + | President of the Senate Speaker of the House |
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| 47 | + | I hereby certify that S.B. No. 591 passed the Senate on |
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| 48 | + | April 27, 2017, by the following vote: Yeas 31, Nays 0. |
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| 49 | + | ______________________________ |
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| 50 | + | Secretary of the Senate |
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| 51 | + | I hereby certify that S.B. No. 591 passed the House on |
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| 52 | + | May 24, 2017, by the following vote: Yeas 146, Nays 0, two |
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| 53 | + | present not voting. |
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| 54 | + | ______________________________ |
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| 55 | + | Chief Clerk of the House |
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| 56 | + | Approved: |
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| 57 | + | ______________________________ |
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| 58 | + | Date |
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| 59 | + | ______________________________ |
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| 60 | + | Governor |
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