Texas 2025 - 89th Regular

Texas House Bill HB4993 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	89R16003 MCK-F
2	2	By: Isaac H.B. No. 4993
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7	7	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
8	8	AN ACT
9	9	relating to the improvement of health, fitness, and readiness of
10	10	the Texas military forces.
11	11	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
12	12	SECTION 1. This Act may be cited as the Texas Military
13	13	Forces Health and Readiness Act.
14	14	SECTION 2. Chapter 437, Government Code, is amended by
15	15	adding Subchapter J to read as follows:
16	16	SUBCHAPTER J. HEALTH AND READINESS
17	17	Sec. 437.451. FITNESS STANDARDS. (a) The department shall
18	18	establish and post on the department's Internet website baseline
19	19	fitness standards aligned with fitness requirements of the United
20	20	States armed forces and the specific operational needs of this
21	21	state in order to ensure clear performance expectations for service
22	22	members.
23	23	(b) To assist service members in meeting the fitness
24	24	standards established under Subsection (a), the department shall:
25	25	(1) develop partnerships with fitness facilities in
26	26	this state to provide gym memberships for service members;
27	27	(2) ensure access to certified fitness professionals
28	28	and training specialists to support service members in meeting the
29	29	fitness standards; and
30	30	(3) establish fitness centers for service members with
31	31	specialized equipment and training programs to support mission
32	32	readiness.
33	33	Sec. 437.452. DIGITAL HEALTH INTEGRATION PLATFORM. The
34	34	department shall develop and implement a digital fitness platform
35	35	for service members. The platform must:
36	36	(1) provide real-time health monitoring, personalized
37	37	training plans, and performance tracking;
38	38	(2) include injury prevention guidance, early
39	39	intervention protocols, and mental resilience tools; and
40	40	(3) ensure secure data integration with existing
41	41	department health systems.
42	42	Sec. 437.453. COMPREHENSIVE WELLNESS SUPPORT PROGRAM. The
43	43	department shall establish an integrated health and resilience
44	44	program to provide professional injury rehabilitation services,
45	45	mental health support, and dietary counseling to service members.
46	46	The program must include:
47	47	(1) enhanced meal plans in dining facilities, access
48	48	to meal preparation services, and nutrition education tailored to
49	49	performance goals;
50	50	(2) if covered by gifts, grants, or donations, family
51	51	and spousal fitness benefits, including gym memberships,
52	52	resilience training, and wellness workshops; and
53	53	(3) unit-based counseling, confidential crisis
54	54	intervention services for at-risk personnel, and stress management
55	55	and resilience training as part of a holistic wellness approach.
56	56	Sec. 437.454. PERFORMANCE RECOGNITION FRAMEWORK. The
57	57	department shall implement an annual fitness excellence program
58	58	that:
59	59	(1) provides awards for superior fitness
60	60	achievements;
61	61	(2) offers career advancement opportunities in
62	62	recognition of superior fitness achievements of service members,
63	63	including specialized training and leadership development; and
64	64	(3) recognizes individual and unit-level achievement
65	65	through ceremonies and public events.
66	66	Sec. 437.455. ACCOUNTABILITY AND REPORTING REQUIREMENTS.
67	67	(a) The department shall submit quarterly reports to the
68	68	legislature regarding the activities of the department under this
69	69	subchapter. The reports must include:
70	70	(1) the participation rates of service members;
71	71	(2) aggregated information on changes in service
72	72	members' fitness and health indicators;
73	73	(3) the overall impact of the activities on service
74	74	member readiness and deployment;
75	75	(4) cost-benefit analyses and return-on-investment
76	76	calculations; and
77	77	(5) recommendations for optimization and expansion of
78	78	activities to ensure continued effectiveness and sustainability.
79	79	(b) The department shall implement corrective action plans
80	80	if a report indicates a decline in fitness readiness rates. Any
81	81	corrective action must be implemented not later than the 10th day
82	82	after the date the report is published.
83	83	(c) The department shall:
84	84	(1) assign fitness and wellness officers to each unit
85	85	to monitor compliance with goals; and
86	86	(2) establish fitness mentorship programs, pairing
87	87	high-performing members with members who are struggling to meet
88	88	readiness standards.
89	89	Sec. 437.456. FUNDING; AGREEMENTS WITH PRIVATE ENTITIES.
90	90	(a) The department may implement this subchapter using any funds
91	91	available to the department for that purpose, including:
92	92	(1) money appropriated to the department; and
93	93	(2) federal grant funding.
94	94	(b) The department may enter into an agreement with a
95	95	private entity located in this state that provides fitness, health,
96	96	or nutrition services in order to implement this subchapter.
97	97	SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
98	98	a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
99	99	provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
100	100	Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
101	101	Act takes effect September 1, 2025.