| 1 | 1 | | 88R6018 MCK-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Hefner H.B. No. 4174 |
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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 qualifications for certain individuals for veterans |
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| 8 | 8 | | 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 A, Chapter 434, Government Code, is |
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| 11 | 11 | | amended by adding Section 434.029 to read as follows: |
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| 12 | 12 | | Sec. 434.029. CERTAIN VETERANS QUALIFIED FOR BENEFITS. (a) |
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| 13 | 13 | | In this section, "COVID-19" means the 2019 novel coronavirus |
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| 14 | 14 | | disease. |
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| 15 | 15 | | (b) For purposes of determining qualifications for any |
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| 16 | 16 | | veterans benefits or services from the state, a former member of the |
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| 17 | 17 | | United States armed forces who received a less than honorable |
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| 18 | 18 | | discharge due to the individual's refusal to receive a vaccination |
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| 19 | 19 | | against COVID-19 shall be considered to have received an honorable |
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| 20 | 20 | | discharge. |
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| 21 | 21 | | (c) For a discharge of a former member of the United States |
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| 22 | 22 | | armed forces to be considered honorable under Subsection (b), the |
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| 23 | 23 | | former member of the United States armed forces must prove to the |
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| 24 | 24 | | Texas Veterans Commission that the individual's refusal to receive |
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| 25 | 25 | | a vaccination against COVID-19 was the sole reason for the |
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| 26 | 26 | | individual's less than honorable discharge. |
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| 27 | 27 | | SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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| 28 | 28 | | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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| 29 | 29 | | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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| 30 | 30 | | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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| 31 | 31 | | Act takes effect September 1, 2023. |
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