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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the use of the fund for veterans' assistance to support |
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veterans county service offices. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Sections 434.017(c) and (d), Government Code, |
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are amended to read as follows: |
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(c) Money in the fund may only be appropriated to the Texas |
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Veterans Commission. The commission shall use 30 percent of the |
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money appropriated to the commission under this subsection to |
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provide annual support payments to counties that maintain a |
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veterans county service office as authorized under Section |
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434.0321. The remainder of the money [Money] appropriated under |
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this subsection shall be used to: |
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(1) make grants to address veterans' needs; |
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(2) administer the fund; and |
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(3) analyze and investigate data received from the |
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federal Public Assistance Reporting Information System (PARIS) |
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that is administered by the Administration for Children and |
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Families of the United States Department of Health and Human |
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Services. |
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(d) The Texas Veterans Commission may adopt rules governing |
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the award of grants by the commission under this section. The |
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commission shall adopt rules governing the support payments |
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required under Subsection (c). |
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SECTION 2. Subchapter B, Chapter 434, Government Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 434.0321 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 434.0321. SUPPORT FROM COMMISSION. (a) A county that |
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maintains an office as provided by Section 434.032 is entitled to an |
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annual support payment from the commission. |
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(b) A support payment under Subsection (a) may be used by |
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the county only to: |
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(1) fund the office maintained by that county; |
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(2) pay costs related to the operation and |
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administration of programs offered by the office in that county; |
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and |
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(3) pay the salary of the county's officer and, if |
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applicable, the salary of an assistant officer. |
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(c) The commission by rule shall determine the time and |
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manner in which the support payments required under this section |
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are made to the counties entitled to a payment. The commission's |
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rules must require the amount of the support payment received by a |
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county to be commensurate with the number of veterans that the |
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county's office serves. |
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SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2017. |