Bill Text: TX HB5045 | 2023-2024 | 88th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to the creation of a task force to study access to telephone and Internet service among homeless veterans.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2023-03-23 - Referred to Defense & Veterans' Affairs [HB5045 Detail]
Download: Texas-2023-HB5045-Introduced.html
| 88R14533 MCF-F | ||
| By: Garcia | H.B. No. 5045 | |
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| relating to the creation of a task force to study access to | ||
| telephone and Internet service among homeless veterans. | ||
| BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
| SECTION 1. DEFINITION. In this Act, "task force" means the | ||
| task force established under Section 2 of this Act. | ||
| SECTION 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF TASK FORCE. (a) The Texas | ||
| Veterans Commission, in collaboration with the Public Utility | ||
| Commission of Texas, shall establish a task force to: | ||
| (1) evaluate the ability of homeless veterans to | ||
| access telephone and Internet service; | ||
| (2) determine the effect that increasing a homeless | ||
| veteran's access to telephone and Internet service would have on | ||
| the homeless veteran's ability to obtain available services and | ||
| benefits; | ||
| (3) consider the potential for partnerships between | ||
| public and private entities to provide access to telephone and | ||
| Internet service to homeless veterans at a low or reduced cost; and | ||
| (4) assess federal, state, and private funding sources | ||
| available to increase access to telephone and Internet service by | ||
| homeless veterans. | ||
| (b) The task force may seek assistance from any organization | ||
| that serves veterans, including homeless veterans. | ||
| SECTION 3. COMPOSITION OF TASK FORCE. The task force is | ||
| composed of four members as follows: | ||
| (1) one representative of the Texas Veterans | ||
| Commission; | ||
| (2) one representative of the Public Utility | ||
| Commission of Texas; and | ||
| (3) two members appointed by the governor, including: | ||
| (A) one member representing telephone service | ||
| providers; and | ||
| (B) one member representing Internet service | ||
| providers. | ||
| SECTION 4. APPOINTMENT OF MEMBERS. (a) The executive | ||
| director of each state agency represented on the task force shall | ||
| appoint an employee of the agency to serve as the agency's | ||
| representative on the task force not later than November 1, 2023. | ||
| (b) Not later than November 1, 2023, the governor shall | ||
| appoint two members to the task force as provided by Section 3 of | ||
| this Act. | ||
| SECTION 5. REPORT. Not later than November 1, 2024, the | ||
| task force shall prepare and submit to the Texas Veterans | ||
| Commission, the Public Utility Commission of Texas, the governor, | ||
| the lieutenant governor, the speaker of the house of | ||
| representatives, and the members of the legislature a written | ||
| report on its findings. | ||
| SECTION 6. ABOLISHMENT AND EXPIRATION. The task force is | ||
| abolished and this Act expires January 1, 2025. | ||
| SECTION 7. EFFECTIVE DATE. This Act takes effect September | ||
| 1, 2023. | ||
