| 1 | 1 | | 89R5400 CXP-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Guillen H.B. No. 2193 |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | |
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| 6 | 6 | | |
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| 7 | 7 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 8 | 8 | | AN ACT |
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| 9 | 9 | | relating to a study by the Texas Veterans Commission regarding the |
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| 10 | 10 | | provision of veterans benefits in this state. |
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| 11 | 11 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 12 | 12 | | SECTION 1. (a) In this Act, "commission" means the Texas |
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| 13 | 13 | | Veterans Commission. |
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| 14 | 14 | | (b) The commission shall conduct a study to determine: |
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| 15 | 15 | | (1) the number of veterans in this state who are |
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| 16 | 16 | | entitled under state or federal law to receive veterans benefits |
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| 17 | 17 | | managed, provided, or facilitated by the commission; |
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| 18 | 18 | | (2) the location of the veterans described by |
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| 19 | 19 | | Subdivision (1) of this subsection disaggregated by county; |
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| 20 | 20 | | (3) the number of claims benefit advisors employed by |
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| 21 | 21 | | the commission; |
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| 22 | 22 | | (4) the number of claims benefit advisors necessary |
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| 23 | 23 | | for the commission to employ and the geographic locations at which |
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| 24 | 24 | | the advisors should perform their duties in order to provide |
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| 25 | 25 | | services to veterans in the most efficient manner considering: |
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| 26 | 26 | | (A) the geographic areas currently served by |
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| 27 | 27 | | veterans county service officers; and |
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| 28 | 28 | | (B) the option of allowing multiple counties to |
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| 29 | 29 | | be served at the same location in a way that minimizes drive times |
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| 30 | 30 | | and distances traveled by veterans to receive services; and |
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| 31 | 31 | | (5) the costs to implement the service delivery system |
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| 32 | 32 | | described by Subdivision (4) of this subsection, including the |
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| 33 | 33 | | estimated costs of hiring, training, and equipping claims benefit |
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| 34 | 34 | | advisors and of offices and office operations and support staff. |
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| 35 | 35 | | (c) In determining the costs under Subsection (b)(5) of this |
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| 36 | 36 | | section, the commission may consider collocating claims benefit |
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| 37 | 37 | | advisors with facilities, institutions, and organizations that are |
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| 38 | 38 | | currently providing services to veterans. |
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| 39 | 39 | | (d) Not later than June 1, 2026, the commission shall submit |
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| 40 | 40 | | to the governor, the lieutenant governor, the speaker of the house |
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| 41 | 41 | | of representatives, and each member of the legislature a report on |
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| 42 | 42 | | the results of the study and any recommendations for legislative or |
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| 43 | 43 | | other action. |
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| 44 | 44 | | SECTION 2. This Act expires January 1, 2027. |
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| 45 | 45 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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| 46 | 46 | | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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| 47 | 47 | | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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| 48 | 48 | | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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| 49 | 49 | | Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |
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