| 1 | 1 | | By: Lopez of Cameron H.B. No. 5123 |
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| 2 | 2 | | |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 5 | 5 | | AN ACT |
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| 6 | 6 | | relating to the creation, distribution, and posting of a veterans |
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| 7 | 7 | | benefits at each Department of Public Safety office. |
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| 8 | 8 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 9 | 9 | | SECTION 1. Chapter 411, Government Code, is amended by |
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| 10 | 10 | | adding Section 411.0917 to read as follows: |
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| 11 | 11 | | Sec. 411.0197. VETERANS BENEFITS AND SERVICES POSTER. (a) |
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| 12 | 12 | | The Department of Public Safety shall, in consultation with the |
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| 13 | 13 | | Texas Veterans Commission, create and distribute to each veteran in |
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| 14 | 14 | | this state a veterans benefits and services pamphlet containing |
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| 15 | 15 | | information relating to: |
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| 16 | 16 | | (1) how a veteran can: |
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| 17 | 17 | | (A) apply for unemployment compensation benefits |
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| 18 | 18 | | under Subtitle A and unemployment compensation benefits that may be |
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| 19 | 19 | | offered under a program administered by an agency of the federal |
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| 20 | 20 | | government; |
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| 21 | 21 | | (B) contact the Texas Veterans Commission, |
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| 22 | 22 | | including how a veteran may access the Internet website maintained |
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| 23 | 23 | | by the Texas Veterans Commission and the veterans crisis hotline |
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| 24 | 24 | | established by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs |
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| 25 | 25 | | under 38 U.S.C. Section 1720F; |
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| 26 | 26 | | (C) exercise any tax benefits or preferences |
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| 27 | 27 | | offered to veterans under the Tax Code or Internal Revenue Code of |
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| 28 | 28 | | 1986; and |
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| 29 | 29 | | (D) obtain a driver's license or personal |
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| 30 | 30 | | identification card issued by the Department of Public Safety; and |
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| 31 | 31 | | (2) services that may be available to veterans in this |
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| 32 | 32 | | state, including: |
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| 33 | 33 | | (A) education, workforce placement, and training |
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| 34 | 34 | | programs; |
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| 35 | 35 | | (B) legal assistance; and |
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| 36 | 36 | | (C) substance abuse and mental health treatment. |
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| 37 | 37 | | (c) the department shall display the veterans benefits and |
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| 38 | 38 | | services poster distributed by the commission under this section |
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| 39 | 39 | | in a conspicuous place in each department office. |
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| 40 | 40 | | SECTION 2. Not later than December 1, 2023, the Department |
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| 41 | 41 | | of Public Safety shall, in consultation with the Texas Veterans |
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| 42 | 42 | | Commission, create and distribute the veterans benefits and |
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| 43 | 43 | | services poster as required by Section 411.0197, Government Code, |
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| 44 | 44 | | as added by this Act. |
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| 45 | 45 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023. |
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