89R5937 SCF-D
By: Garcia of Bexar H.B. No. 1389
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to a grant program for junior reserve officers' training
corps programs to provide military funeral honors for veterans.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 434, Government Code, is
amended by adding Section 434.0072 to read as follows:
Sec. 434.0072. GRANT PROGRAM FOR VETERAN FUNERAL SERVICES.
(a) In this section:
(1) "JROTC program" means a junior reserve officers'
training corps program for students in middle school, junior high
school, or high school established under 10 U.S.C. Section 2031.
(2) "Military funeral honors" means the services
described by 10 U.S.C. Sections 1491(b) and (c).
(3) "ROTC program" means a reserve officers' training
corps program established under 10 U.S.C. Section 2101.
(4) "Veteran" means a person who has served in:
(A) the army, navy, air force, coast guard, space
force, or marine corps of the United States; or
(B) the Texas National Guard or Texas State Guard
as defined by Section 437.001.
(b) The commission shall establish a grant program for JROTC
programs to provide military funeral honors at veteran funeral
services.
(c) A JROTC program may receive training on the requirements
and performance of military funeral honors at veteran funeral
services from a local organization with the training necessary to
perform military funeral honors, including:
(1) an ROTC program;
(2) a military honor guard;
(3) a Veterans of Foreign Wars post;
(4) a law enforcement agency;
(5) a fire department; or
(6) another nonprofit organization composed or in
service of veterans and qualified to provide training on the
requirements and performance of military funeral honors.
(d) To be eligible for a grant under this section, a JROTC
program must submit an application on the form the commission
prescribes. The commission shall post the application form on the
commission's publicly available Internet website. An application
for a grant under this section must include:
(1) the name of the local organization that trained
the JROTC program in the performance of military funeral honors at
veteran funeral services or, if the JROTC program was unable to
obtain training from a local organization, the names of the
organizations from which the JROTC program obtained training;
(2) a detailed plan for use of the grant money awarded
under this section, including for a JROTC program that intends to
purchase air rifles, details on whether the program is authorized
to purchase the air rifles and a plan for the safe use and storage of
the air rifles; and
(3) for a JROTC program awarded a grant in a preceding
school year, an explanation of the items purchased using grant
money from the preceding year that the JROTC program will continue
to use if awarded another grant.
(e) A JROTC program awarded a grant under this section shall
collaborate with community organizations to spread awareness among
veterans and veteran families of the program's availability to
perform military funeral honors in the community.
(f) Grant money awarded under this section may be used for:
(1) uniforms;
(2) air rifles, if:
(A) the school district in which the JROTC
program is located approves the purchase and use of air rifles; and
(B) the JROTC program includes in the grant
application a safe storage and use plan approved by the school
district;
(3) American flags in a size approved for providing
military funeral honors, if a flag has not been provided to a
veteran's family free of charge;
(4) bugles;
(5) audio recordings of and equipment to play TAPS; or
(6) tuition and fees for a JROTC program instructor to
enroll in a training course offered by an honor guard academy, if
the program is unable to receive training from a local
organization.
(g) A grant awarded under this section may not exceed $3,500
per school year.
(h) The commission and the Veterans' Land Board may
publicize a JROTC program awarded a grant under this section as a
resource to perform military funeral honors at veteran funeral
services in the community in which the JROTC program is located and
the JROTC program shall make its best effort to perform military
funeral honors when requested.
(i) The commission may accept gifts, grants, and donations
from any source to administer the grant program established under
this section.
SECTION 2. As soon as practicable after the effective date
of this Act, the commission shall adopt rules to implement the grant
program established under Section 434.0072, Government Code, as
added by this Act.
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.