| 5 | 2 | | |
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| 6 | 3 | | |
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| 7 | 4 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 8 | 5 | | AN ACT |
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| 9 | 6 | | relating to pro bono legal services for veterans and service |
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| 10 | 7 | | members. |
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| 11 | 8 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 12 | 9 | | SECTION 1. Section 434.017(c), Government Code, is amended |
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| 13 | 10 | | to read as follows: |
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| 14 | 11 | | (c) Money in the fund may only be appropriated to the Texas |
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| 15 | 12 | | Veterans Commission. Money appropriated under this subsection |
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| 16 | 13 | | shall be used to: |
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| 17 | 14 | | (1) make grants to address veterans' needs; |
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| 18 | 15 | | (2) make grants to provide pro bono legal services to |
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| 19 | 16 | | veterans, active duty members of the United States armed forces, |
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| 20 | 17 | | and members of the state military forces; |
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| 21 | 18 | | (3) administer the fund; and |
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| 22 | 19 | | (4) [(3)] analyze and investigate data received from |
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| 23 | 20 | | the federal Public Assistance Reporting Information System (PARIS) |
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| 24 | 21 | | that is administered by the Administration for Children and |
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| 25 | 22 | | Families of the United States Department of Health and Human |
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| 26 | 23 | | Services. |
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| 27 | 24 | | SECTION 2. Section 434.0171, Government Code, is amended to |
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| 28 | 25 | | read as follows: |
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| 29 | 26 | | Sec. 434.0171. STATE EMPLOYEE CONTRIBUTIONS TO FUND FOR |
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| 30 | 27 | | VETERANS' ASSISTANCE. For purposes of Subchapter I, Chapter 659: |
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| 31 | 28 | | (1) the Texas Veterans Commission, for the sole |
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| 32 | 29 | | purpose of managing the fund for veterans' assistance, is |
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| 33 | 30 | | considered an eligible charitable organization entitled to |
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| 34 | 31 | | participate in the state employee charitable campaign; and |
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| 35 | 32 | | (2) a state employee is entitled to authorize a |
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| 36 | 33 | | deduction for contributions to the Texas Veterans Commission for |
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| 37 | 34 | | the purposes of managing the fund for veterans' assistance as a |
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| 38 | 35 | | charitable contribution under Section 659.132, and the Texas |
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| 39 | 36 | | Veterans Commission may use the contributions for the purposes |
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| 40 | 37 | | listed in Section 434.017(c)[, as redesignated and amended by |
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| 41 | 38 | | Chapter 1418 (H.B. 3107), Acts of the 80th Legislature, Regular |
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| 42 | 39 | | Session, 2007]. |
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| 43 | 40 | | SECTION 3. Section 434.154(a), Government Code, is amended |
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| 44 | 41 | | to read as follows: |
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| 45 | 42 | | (a) The council may, by majority vote, establish the |
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| 46 | 43 | | following coordinating workgroups to focus on specific issues |
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| 47 | 44 | | affecting veterans, servicemembers, and their families: |
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| 48 | 45 | | (1) health; |
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| 49 | 46 | | (2) mental health; |
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| 50 | 47 | | (3) employment; |
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| 51 | 48 | | (4) higher education; |
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| 52 | 49 | | (5) criminal justice; |
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| 53 | 50 | | (6) housing; |
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| 54 | 51 | | (7) transportation; |
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| 55 | 52 | | (8) women veterans; |
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| 56 | 53 | | (9) pro bono legal services for veterans, including |
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| 57 | 54 | | opportunities and obstacles for providing those services; and |
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| 58 | 55 | | (10) [(9)] any other coordinating workgroup |
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| 59 | 56 | | considered necessary. |
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| 60 | 57 | | SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2019. |
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