Texas 2019 - 86th Regular

Texas Senate Bill SB2104 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New		Differences
1		-	S.B. No. 2104
	1	+	By: Zaffirini, et al. S.B. No. 2104
	2	+	(Miller)
2	3
3	4
	5	+	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
4	6		AN ACT
5		-	relating to certain advocacy and legal services for Texas Veterans
6		-	and to tuition and fees for certain military spouses and
7		-	dependents.
	7	+	relating to the creation of the Texas Veterans County Service
	8	+	Officer Task Force.
8	9		BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
9		-	SECTION 1. Section 434.017(c), Government Code, is amended
10		-	to read as follows:
11		-	(c) Money in the fund may only be appropriated to the Texas
12		-	Veterans Commission. Money appropriated under this subsection
13		-	shall be used to:
14		-	(1) make grants to address veterans' needs;
15		-	(2) make grants to provide pro bono legal services to
16		-	veterans, active duty members of the United States armed forces,
17		-	and members of the state military forces;
18		-	(3) administer the fund; and
19		-	(4) [(3)] analyze and investigate data received from
20		-	the federal Public Assistance Reporting Information System (PARIS)
21		-	that is administered by the Administration for Children and
22		-	Families of the United States Department of Health and Human
23		-	Services.
24		-	SECTION 2. Section 434.0171, Government Code, is amended to
25		-	read as follows:
26		-	Sec. 434.0171. STATE EMPLOYEE CONTRIBUTIONS TO FUND FOR
27		-	VETERANS' ASSISTANCE. For purposes of Subchapter I, Chapter 659:
28		-	(1) the Texas Veterans Commission, for the sole
29		-	purpose of managing the fund for veterans' assistance, is
30		-	considered an eligible charitable organization entitled to
31		-	participate in the state employee charitable campaign; and
32		-	(2) a state employee is entitled to authorize a
33		-	deduction for contributions to the Texas Veterans Commission for
34		-	the purposes of managing the fund for veterans' assistance as a
35		-	charitable contribution under Section 659.132, and the Texas
36		-	Veterans Commission may use the contributions for the purposes
37		-	listed in Section 434.017(c)[, as redesignated and amended by
38		-	Chapter 1418 (H.B. 3107), Acts of the 80th Legislature, Regular
39		-	Session, 2007].
40		-	SECTION 3. Subchapter B, Chapter 434, Government Code, is
	10	+	SECTION 1. Subchapter B, Chapter 434, Government Code, is
41	11		amended by adding Section 434.040 to read as follows:
42	12		Sec. 434.040. TEXAS VETERANS COUNTY SERVICE OFFICER TASK
43	13		FORCE. (a) In this section:
44	14		(1) "Rural county" means a county with a population of
45	15		less than 200,000.
46	16		(2) "Task force" means the Texas Veterans County
47	17		Service Officer Task Force.
48	18		(3) "Urban county" means a county with a population of
49	19		200,000 or more.
50	20		(b) The Texas Veterans County Service Officer Task Force is
51	21		established to study the impact and efficacy of officers in this
52	22		state.
53	23		(c) The task force is composed of the following nine
54	24		members:
55	25		(1) the chair of the House Committee on Defense and
56	26		Veterans' Affairs;
57	27		(2) the chair of the Senate Committee on Veteran
58	28		Affairs and Border Security;
59	29		(3) a representative of the commission;
60	30		(4) the chair of the Veterans County Service Officer
61	31		Advisory Committee;
62	32		(5) a representative of the Texas Coalition of
63	33		Veterans Organizations;
64	34		(6) an officer representing a rural county selected by
65	35		the chair of the House Committee on Defense and Veterans' Affairs;
66	36		(7) an officer representing an urban county selected
67	37		by the chair of the House Committee on Defense and Veterans'
68	38		Affairs;
69	39		(8) an officer representing a rural county selected by
70	40		the chair of the Senate Committee on Veteran Affairs and Border
71	41		Security; and
72	42		(9) an officer representing an urban county selected
73	43		by the chair of the Senate Committee on Veteran Affairs and Border
74	44		Security.
75	45		(d) The chairs of the House Committee on Defense and
76	46		Veterans' Affairs and Senate Committee on Veteran Affairs and
77	47		Border Security serve as co-chairs of the task force.
78	48		(e) A recommendation of the task force must be approved by a
79	49		majority vote of the members of the task force.
80	50		(f) Each member of the task force has one vote.
81	51		(g) The task force shall:
82	52		(1) examine the role and duties of officers in each
83	53		county;
84	54		(2) identify the regions of this state that are in need
85	55		of officers; and
86	56		(3) determine types and levels of support needed from
87	57		this state in order for officers to appropriately advocate for the
88	58		veterans served by the officers.
89	59		(h) Not later than December 1, 2020, the commission shall
90	60		prepare and submit a report based on recommendations of the task
91	61		force regarding the issues described in Subsection (g) to the
92	62		Senate Committee on Veteran Affairs and Border Security and House
93	63		Committee on Defense and Veterans' Affairs. The report must be
94	64		approved by a majority vote of the members of the task force.
95	65		(i) This section expires January 1, 2021.
96		-	SECTION 4. Section 434.154(a), Government Code, is amended
97		-	to read as follows:
98		-	(a) The council may, by majority vote, establish the
99		-	following coordinating workgroups to focus on specific issues
100		-	affecting veterans, servicemembers, and their families:
101		-	(1) health;
102		-	(2) mental health;
103		-	(3) employment;
104		-	(4) higher education;
105		-	(5) criminal justice;
106		-	(6) housing;
107		-	(7) transportation;
108		-	(8) women veterans;
109		-	(9) pro bono legal services for veterans, including
110		-	opportunities and obstacles for providing those services; and
111		-	(10) [(9)] any other coordinating workgroup
112		-	considered necessary.
113		-	SECTION 5. Section 54.241(g), Education Code, is amended to
114		-	read as follows:
115		-	(g) If a member of the Armed Forces of the United States is
116		-	stationed outside Texas, an [and the member's spouse or child
117		-	establishes residence in Texas by residing in Texas and by filing
118		-	with the Texas institution of higher education at which the spouse
119		-	or child plans to register a letter of intent to establish residence
120		-	in Texas, the] institution of higher education shall:
121		-	(1) permit the member's spouse or child to pay the
122		-	tuition, fees, and other charges provided for Texas residents
123		-	without regard to the length of time that the spouse or child has
124		-	resided in Texas if the spouse or child establishes residence in
125		-	Texas by residing in Texas and by filing with the Texas institution
126		-	of higher education at which the spouse or child plans to register a
127		-	letter of intent to establish residence in Texas; and
128		-	(2) permit the member's spouse to pay the tuition,
129		-	fees, and other charges provided for Texas residents if the spouse:
130		-	(A) graduated from a public or private high
131		-	school in this state or received the equivalent of a high school
132		-	diploma in this state; and
133		-	(B) maintained a domicile in this state
134		-	continuously for at least one year before the member was assigned to
135		-	duty outside Texas.
136		-	SECTION 6. Section 54.241, Education Code, as amended by
137		-	this Act, applies beginning with tuition and fees charged for the
138		-	2019 fall semester.
139		-	SECTION 7. (a) Except as provided by Subsection (b) of
140		-	this section, this Act takes effect September 1, 2019.
141		-	(b) Section 54.241, Education Code, as amended by this Act,
142		-	takes effect immediately if this Act receives a vote of two-thirds
143		-	of all the members elected to each house, as provided by Section 39,
144		-	Article III, Texas Constitution. If this Act does not receive the
145		-	vote necessary for immediate effect, Section 54.241, Education
146		-	Code, as amended by this Act, takes effect September 1, 2019.
147		-	______________________________ ______________________________
148		-	President of the Senate Speaker of the House
149		-	I hereby certify that S.B. No. 2104 passed the Senate on
150		-	April 17, 2019, by the following vote: Yeas 31, Nays 0; and that
151		-	the Senate concurred in House amendments on May 25, 2019, by the
152		-	following vote: Yeas 30, Nays 0.
153		-	______________________________
154		-	Secretary of the Senate
155		-	I hereby certify that S.B. No. 2104 passed the House, with
156		-	amendments, on May 22, 2019, by the following vote: Yeas 142,
157		-	Nays 1, one present not voting.
158		-	______________________________
159		-	Chief Clerk of the House
160		-	Approved:
161		-	______________________________
162		-	Date
163		-	______________________________
164		-	Governor
	66	+	SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2019.