Texas 2025 - 89th Regular

Texas House Bill HB5283 Compare Versions

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

Old	New	Differences
1	1	89R16148 JCG-D
2	2	By: Schatzline H.B. No. 5283
3	3
4	4
5	5
6	6
7	7	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
8	8	AN ACT
9	9	relating to the operations of the Texas Military Department.
10	10	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
11	11	SECTION 1. This Act may be cited as the Texas Military
12	12	Forces Modernization and Readiness Act.
13	13	SECTION 2. (a) The Legislature finds that:
14	14	(1) The modernization of training infrastructure and
15	15	equipment for the Texas military forces is a critical strategic
16	16	imperative for maintaining combat effectiveness and ensuring rapid
17	17	response capabilities.
18	18	(2) The Texas Military Department faces a significant
19	19	infrastructure crisis, with 96 percent of readiness centers rated
20	20	as deficient or failing, and a two-million-square-foot space
21	21	shortfall that compromises operational readiness.
22	22	(3) The Texas military forces require dedicated
23	23	training centers to prepare forces for evolving multi-domain
24	24	threats while ensuring parity with active-duty forces.
25	25	(4) Expanding training infrastructure, increasing
26	26	joint training opportunities, and developing a state-controlled
27	27	Training Aids, Devices, Simulators, and Simulations (TADSS)
28	28	program will enhance readiness, reduce costs, and ensure access to
29	29	mission-critical resources.
30	30	(5) Strategic equipment modernization is necessary to
31	31	maintain technological parity with active-duty forces and enhance
32	32	state-specific operational capabilities.
33	33	(6) A dedicated Texas military readiness fund must be
34	34	established to provide sustained financial support for facility
35	35	upgrades, equipment procurement, and training infrastructure
36	36	expansion.
37	37	(b) The purpose of this Act is to:
38	38	(1) modernize and expand Texas Military Department
39	39	facilities to meet current and future operational requirements;
40	40	(2) establish a combat training center for the Texas
41	41	military forces to ensure modern warfare readiness;
42	42	(3) expand training facilities, including training
43	43	facilities designed to train the Texas military forces for urban
44	44	warfare, cyber warfare, air defense, operating unmanned aircraft,
45	45	and aviation gunnery;
46	46	(4) develop a program that permits service members in
47	47	the Texas military forces to train in realistic environments that
48	48	simulate scenarios likely to occur while deployed and provides
49	49	visual and interactive aids to reinforce key training points;
50	50	(5) implement a state-funded equipment modernization
51	51	program to enhance Texas military forces' operational
52	52	effectiveness;
53	53	(6) mandate semiannual joint exercises between Texas
54	54	National Guard forces and law enforcement agencies to improve
55	55	domestic security coordination; and
56	56	(7) expand equipment acquisition priorities to
57	57	include disaster response, counter-drone (CUAS) capabilities, and
58	58	mobile surveillance assets for homeland defense.
59	59	SECTION 3. Subchapter C, Chapter 437, Government Code, is
60	60	amended by adding Sections 437.120 and 437.121 to read as follows:
61	61	Sec. 437.120. TEXAS MILITARY READINESS FUND. (a) The Texas
62	62	military readiness fund is an account established in the general
63	63	revenue fund.
64	64	(b) The Texas military readiness fund consists of:
65	65	(1) money appropriated or transferred to the credit of
66	66	the fund; and
67	67	(2) interest and other earnings on the investment of
68	68	money in the fund.
69	69	(c) Money in the fund may be appropriated only to pay for the
70	70	facilities, programs, and equipment described by Sections 437.164,
71	71	437.165, 437.166, 437.233, and 437.234.
72	72	(d) The department shall establish an oversight board to
73	73	monitor expenditures from the fund and the effectiveness of
74	74	facilities, programs, and equipment acquired or implemented with
75	75	money from the fund.
76	76	Sec. 437.121. REPORTING ON EXPENDITURES FROM TEXAS MILITARY
77	77	READINESS FUND. (a) Not later than January 31 and July 31 of each
78	78	year, the department shall report to the governor, the lieutenant
79	79	governor, the speaker of the house of representatives, and the
80	80	members of the legislature on:
81	81	(1) the expenditures of money from the Texas military
82	82	readiness fund established under Section 437.120; and
83	83	(2) the progress the department has made in:
84	84	(A) constructing and renovating the facilities
85	85	required by Sections 437.164, 437.165, and 437.166;
86	86	(B) developing the programs required by Section
87	87	437.233; and
88	88	(C) purchasing the equipment required by Section
89	89	437.234.
90	90	(b) The report must also include utilization rates by the
91	91	Texas military forces of the facilities, programs, and equipment
92	92	described by Subsection (a) and the increase in military readiness
93	93	resulting from using the facilities and equipment and implementing
94	94	the programs described by Subsection (a).
95	95	SECTION 4. Subchapter D, Chapter 437, Government Code, is
96	96	amended by adding Sections 437.164, 437.165, and 437.166 to read as
97	97	follows:
98	98	Sec. 437.164. MILITARY READINESS: CONSTRUCTION AND
99	99	RENOVATION. (a) Based on findings and reports of the real property
100	100	advisory council established under Section 437.151, the department
101	101	shall construct new facilities and renovate existing facilities to
102	102	meet readiness standards set by the department for department
103	103	facilities, including the construction and renovation of:
104	104	(1) readiness centers;
105	105	(2) training facilities; and
106	106	(3) other support infrastructure.
107	107	(b) The department shall determine the amount of facility
108	108	space necessary to ensure military readiness and construct
109	109	facilities or renovate existing facilities to ensure military
110	110	readiness.
111	111	(c) As provided by Sections 437.155 and 437.156, the
112	112	department may purchase, lease, or otherwise acquire real property
113	113	for purposes of this section.
114	114	Sec. 437.165. CONSTRUCTION OF COMBAT TRAINING CENTER. (a)
115	115	The department shall construct and maintain a combat training
116	116	center for use by the Texas military forces and any military force
117	117	engaged in joint operations with the Texas military forces.
118	118	(b) The combat training center shall:
119	119	(1) provide training on air, land, sea, space,
120	120	electromagnetic, and cyber warfare;
121	121	(2) facilitate joint exercises among forces on state
122	122	active duty, the Texas State Guard, and allied military forces;
123	123	(3) establish a force dedicated to role-playing enemy
124	124	forces to enhance the realism of training exercises; and
125	125	(4) develop training environments to mimic
126	126	environments and scenarios likely to occur during military
127	127	operations.
128	128	Sec. 437.166. ADDITIONAL TRAINING FACILITIES. In addition
129	129	to the facilities required by Sections 437.164 and 437.165, the
130	130	department shall construct training facilities to provide training
131	131	on:
132	132	(1) urban warfare;
133	133	(2) cyber warfare;
134	134	(3) operating unmanned aircraft for military
135	135	purposes;
136	136	(4) helicopter gunnery; and
137	137	(5) joint operations with allied military forces.
138	138	SECTION 5. Subchapter E, Chapter 437, Government Code, is
139	139	amended by adding Sections 437.233 and 437.234 to read as follows:
140	140	Sec. 437.233. STATE TRAINING AIDS AND SIMULATION PROGRAM;
141	141	PROGRAM MANAGER. (a) The department shall establish a program
142	142	that:
143	143	(1) develops and distributes visual and interactive
144	144	aids to reinforce key training points; and
145	145	(2) develops realistic training environments that
146	146	simulate scenarios service members will likely encounter while
147	147	deployed, including:
148	148	(A) border security and counter-cartel
149	149	operations; and
150	150	(B) disaster response scenarios.
151	151	(b) The department shall appoint an officer to manage the
152	152	program required by this section.
153	153	(c) The officer under Subsection (b) may employ staff as
154	154	necessary to develop, update, and maintain the aids described by
155	155	Subsection (a)(1) and the training environments and scenarios
156	156	described by Subsection (a)(2).
157	157	Sec. 437.234. EQUIPMENT MODERNIZATION. The department
158	158	shall purchase:
159	159	(1) advanced protective gear, including
160	160	next-generation body armor and ballistic helmets;
161	161	(2) communication systems that allow for encrypted
162	162	radio and satellite-based communications;
163	163	(3) unmanned aircraft for use in reconnaissance,
164	164	surveillance, and other missions;
165	165	(4) electronic warfare assets for countering the use
166	166	of unmanned aircraft against the Texas military forces; and
167	167	(5) mobile command and surveillance systems.
168	168	SECTION 6. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
169	169	a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
170	170	provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
171	171	Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
172	172	Act takes effect September 1, 2025.