| 1 | 1 | | 88R14533 MCF-F |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Garcia H.B. No. 5045 |
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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 the creation of a task force to study access to |
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| 8 | 8 | | telephone and Internet service among homeless veterans. |
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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. DEFINITION. In this Act, "task force" means the |
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| 11 | 11 | | task force established under Section 2 of this Act. |
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| 12 | 12 | | SECTION 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF TASK FORCE. (a) The Texas |
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| 13 | 13 | | Veterans Commission, in collaboration with the Public Utility |
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| 14 | 14 | | Commission of Texas, shall establish a task force to: |
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| 15 | 15 | | (1) evaluate the ability of homeless veterans to |
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| 16 | 16 | | access telephone and Internet service; |
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| 17 | 17 | | (2) determine the effect that increasing a homeless |
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| 18 | 18 | | veteran's access to telephone and Internet service would have on |
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| 19 | 19 | | the homeless veteran's ability to obtain available services and |
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| 20 | 20 | | benefits; |
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| 21 | 21 | | (3) consider the potential for partnerships between |
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| 22 | 22 | | public and private entities to provide access to telephone and |
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| 23 | 23 | | Internet service to homeless veterans at a low or reduced cost; and |
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| 24 | 24 | | (4) assess federal, state, and private funding sources |
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| 25 | 25 | | available to increase access to telephone and Internet service by |
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| 26 | 26 | | homeless veterans. |
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| 27 | 27 | | (b) The task force may seek assistance from any organization |
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| 28 | 28 | | that serves veterans, including homeless veterans. |
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| 29 | 29 | | SECTION 3. COMPOSITION OF TASK FORCE. The task force is |
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| 30 | 30 | | composed of four members as follows: |
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| 31 | 31 | | (1) one representative of the Texas Veterans |
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| 32 | 32 | | Commission; |
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| 33 | 33 | | (2) one representative of the Public Utility |
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| 34 | 34 | | Commission of Texas; and |
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| 35 | 35 | | (3) two members appointed by the governor, including: |
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| 36 | 36 | | (A) one member representing telephone service |
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| 37 | 37 | | providers; and |
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| 38 | 38 | | (B) one member representing Internet service |
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| 39 | 39 | | providers. |
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| 40 | 40 | | SECTION 4. APPOINTMENT OF MEMBERS. (a) The executive |
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| 41 | 41 | | director of each state agency represented on the task force shall |
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| 42 | 42 | | appoint an employee of the agency to serve as the agency's |
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| 43 | 43 | | representative on the task force not later than November 1, 2023. |
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| 44 | 44 | | (b) Not later than November 1, 2023, the governor shall |
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| 45 | 45 | | appoint two members to the task force as provided by Section 3 of |
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| 46 | 46 | | this Act. |
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| 47 | 47 | | SECTION 5. REPORT. Not later than November 1, 2024, the |
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| 48 | 48 | | task force shall prepare and submit to the Texas Veterans |
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| 49 | 49 | | Commission, the Public Utility Commission of Texas, the governor, |
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| 50 | 50 | | the lieutenant governor, the speaker of the house of |
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| 51 | 51 | | representatives, and the members of the legislature a written |
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| 52 | 52 | | report on its findings. |
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| 53 | 53 | | SECTION 6. ABOLISHMENT AND EXPIRATION. The task force is |
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| 54 | 54 | | abolished and this Act expires January 1, 2025. |
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| 55 | 55 | | SECTION 7. EFFECTIVE DATE. This Act takes effect September |
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| 56 | 56 | | 1, 2023. |
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