| 1 | 1 | | 87R5670 BDP-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Romero, Jr. H.B. No. 1736 |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 6 | 6 | | AN ACT |
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| 7 | 7 | | relating to assisting inmates in the Texas Department of Criminal |
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| 8 | 8 | | Justice in obtaining federal veterans disability benefits. |
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| 9 | 9 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 10 | 10 | | SECTION 1. Subchapter B, Chapter 501, Government Code, is |
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| 11 | 11 | | amended by adding Section 501.071 to read as follows: |
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| 12 | 12 | | Sec. 501.071. ASSISTANCE IN OBTAINING FEDERAL VETERANS |
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| 13 | 13 | | DISABILITY BENEFITS. For purposes of assisting an inmate who is a |
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| 14 | 14 | | veteran in obtaining federal veterans disability benefits, the |
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| 15 | 15 | | department shall ensure that, as soon as practicable after |
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| 16 | 16 | | receiving a request from the inmate: |
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| 17 | 17 | | (1) an appropriate medical or health care |
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| 18 | 18 | | professional: |
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| 19 | 19 | | (A) assists the inmate in completing a disability |
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| 20 | 20 | | benefits questionnaire at the facility in which the inmate is |
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| 21 | 21 | | confined or at another appropriate location; or |
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| 22 | 22 | | (B) conducts any necessary examination or |
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| 23 | 23 | | evaluation of the inmate at the facility in which the inmate is |
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| 24 | 24 | | confined or at another appropriate location; and |
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| 25 | 25 | | (2) the questionnaire or other documents required for |
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| 26 | 26 | | the inmate to receive benefits are submitted to the United States |
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| 27 | 27 | | Department of Veterans Affairs or a veterans service organization |
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| 28 | 28 | | chartered by the United States Congress or recognized by the United |
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| 29 | 29 | | States Department of Veterans Affairs. |
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| 30 | 30 | | SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2021. |
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