88R12411 BDP-D
By: Lopez of Cameron H.B. No. 2935
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to veterans placed on community supervision or confined in
the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Section 501.024(b), Government Code, is amended
to read as follows:
(b) The department shall:
(1) in consultation with the Texas Veterans
Commission, investigate and verify the veteran status of each
inmate by using the best available federal data; and
(2) use the data described by Subdivision (1) to
assist inmates who are veterans in applying for:
(A) federal benefits or compensation for which
the inmates may be eligible under a program administered by the
United States Department of Veterans Affairs; and
(B) state benefits or compensation for which the
inmates may be eligible under any state law or program.
SECTION 2. Subchapter C, Chapter 501, Government Code, is
amended by adding Section 501.1021 to read as follows:
Sec. 501.1021. REENTRY AND REINTEGRATION SERVICES FOR
VETERANS. (a) The department shall develop a comprehensive plan to
ensure the successful reentry and reintegration into the community
following discharge from the department of offenders whose veteran
status has been verified by the department under Section
501.024(b)(1). The reentry and reintegration plan developed under
this section must utilize all benefits that the offender is
eligible for as determined by the department under Section
501.024(b)(2) to provide for the following, as applicable, after
the offender's discharge:
(1) housing;
(2) employment;
(3) education;
(4) financial support for the offender's family; and
(5) medical or mental health care.
(b) The department may contract with private vendors or
other entities to implement the comprehensive reentry and
reintegration plan as required by this section.
SECTION 3. Chapter 509, Government Code, is amended by
adding Section 509.0042 to read as follows:
Sec. 509.0042. VETERANS BENEFITS PLAN. The division shall
require each department to develop and implement a comprehensive
plan to:
(1) determine if a defendant placed on community
supervision is a veteran; and
(2) assist the defendant in obtaining any federal or
state veterans benefits for which the defendant is eligible to
provide for the following, as applicable, during the defendant's
term of community supervision:
(A) housing;
(B) employment;
(C) education;
(D) financial support for the defendant's
family; and
(E) medical or mental health care.
SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023.