Bill Text: TX HB867 | 2015-2016 | 84th Legislature | Enrolled
Bill Title: Relating to the establishment and operation of the Texas Women Veterans Program.
Spectrum: Moderate Partisan Bill (Democrat 10-3)
Status: (Passed) 2015-06-04 - Effective immediately [HB867 Detail]
Download: Texas-2015-HB867-Enrolled.html
H.B. No. 867 |
|
||
relating to the establishment and operation of the Texas Women | ||
Veterans Program. | ||
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
SECTION 1. Chapter 434, Government Code, is amended by | ||
adding Subchapter E to read as follows: | ||
SUBCHAPTER E. TEXAS WOMEN VETERANS PROGRAM | ||
Sec. 434.201. DEFINITIONS. In this subchapter: | ||
(1) "Commission" means the Texas Veterans Commission. | ||
(2) "Executive director" means the executive director | ||
of the commission. | ||
(3) "Program" means the Texas Women Veterans Program. | ||
(4) "Woman veteran" means a woman who: | ||
(A) served on active duty in the armed forces of | ||
the United States or in the Texas National Guard on federal active | ||
duty under Title 10, United States Code; and | ||
(B) was discharged or released from that service | ||
under conditions other than dishonorable. | ||
Sec. 434.202. ESTABLISHMENT OF PROGRAM; PROGRAM MISSION. | ||
(a) The Texas Women Veterans Program is established in the | ||
commission. The program is attached to the office of the executive | ||
director for administrative purposes. | ||
(b) The mission of the program is to ensure that the women | ||
veterans of this state have equitable access to federal and state | ||
veterans' benefits and services. | ||
Sec. 434.203. COORDINATOR. The executive director shall | ||
designate a women veterans coordinator for this state. | ||
Sec. 434.204. GENERAL PROGRAM DUTIES. The program shall: | ||
(1) provide assistance to the women veterans of this | ||
state as provided by this subchapter; | ||
(2) perform outreach functions to improve the | ||
awareness of women veterans of their eligibility for federal and | ||
state veterans' benefits and services; | ||
(3) assess the needs of women veterans with respect to | ||
benefits and services; | ||
(4) review programs, research projects, and other | ||
initiatives designed to address the needs of the women veterans of | ||
this state; | ||
(5) make recommendations to the executive director | ||
regarding the improvement of benefits and services to women | ||
veterans; and | ||
(6) incorporate issues concerning women veterans in | ||
commission planning regarding veterans' benefits and services. | ||
Sec. 434.205. ADVOCACY AND PUBLIC AWARENESS. (a) The | ||
program shall advocate for women veterans and work to increase | ||
public awareness about the gender-specific needs of women veterans. | ||
(b) The program shall recommend legislative initiatives and | ||
the development of policies on the local, state, and national | ||
levels to address the issues affecting women veterans. | ||
Sec. 434.206. COLLABORATION. The program shall collaborate | ||
with federal, state, county, municipal, and private agencies that | ||
provide services to women veterans. | ||
Sec. 434.207. RESEARCH; DISSEMINATION OF INFORMATION. (a) | ||
The program shall monitor and research issues relating to women | ||
veterans. | ||
(b) The program shall disseminate information regarding | ||
opportunities for women veterans throughout the network of entities | ||
with which the program collaborates. | ||
Sec. 434.208. EDUCATION. Through conferences, seminars, | ||
and training workshops with federal, state, county, municipal, and | ||
private agencies, the program shall provide guidance and direction | ||
to a woman veteran who is applying for grants, benefits, or | ||
services. | ||
Sec. 434.209. HONOR AND RECOGNITION. The program shall | ||
promote events and activities that recognize and honor the women | ||
veterans of this state and women who serve in the military. | ||
Sec. 434.210. FACILITIES. To the extent funding is | ||
available for that purpose, the program shall provide facilities as | ||
appropriate in support of the program. | ||
Sec. 434.211. FUNDING; GRANTS. On behalf of the program, | ||
the commission may: | ||
(1) accept and spend funds: | ||
(A) appropriated to the commission for the | ||
operation of the program; and | ||
(B) received from other sources, including | ||
donations and grants; and | ||
(2) provide matching grants to assist in the | ||
implementation of the program's goals and objectives. | ||
SECTION 2. Section 434.017(e), Government Code, is amended | ||
to read as follows: | ||
(e) To carry out any purpose of this chapter, the commission | ||
may solicit, accept, or refuse a gift, grant, devise, bequest of | ||
money, security, service, or property, including money raised or a | ||
service provided by a volunteer or volunteer group, to promote the | ||
work of the commission for any purpose related to the fund for | ||
veterans' assistance. The commission may participate in the | ||
establishment and operation of an affiliated nonprofit | ||
organization that is established for the purpose of raising money | ||
for or providing services or other benefits to the commission or a | ||
program established in the commission, including the Texas Women | ||
Veterans Program. A gift, grant, devise, or bequest to the fund may | ||
be appropriated in the same manner as other money in the fund, | ||
subject to the purposes provided by Subsection (c) and any | ||
limitation or requirement placed on the gift, grant, devise, or | ||
bequest by the donor or granting entity. | ||
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives | ||
a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as | ||
provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this | ||
Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this | ||
Act takes effect September 1, 2015. | ||
______________________________ | ______________________________ | |
President of the Senate | Speaker of the House | |
I certify that H.B. No. 867 was passed by the House on May 13, | ||
2015, by the following vote: Yeas 122, Nays 24, 2 present, not | ||
voting. | ||
______________________________ | ||
Chief Clerk of the House | ||
I certify that H.B. No. 867 was passed by the Senate on May | ||
28, 2015, by the following vote: Yeas 29, Nays 1. | ||
______________________________ | ||
Secretary of the Senate | ||
APPROVED: _____________________ | ||
Date | ||
_____________________ | ||
Governor |