Bill Text: TX HB2935 | 2023-2024 | 88th Legislature | Comm Sub
Bill Title: Relating to veterans placed on community supervision or confined in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2023-04-20 - Committee report sent to Calendars [HB2935 Detail]
Download: Texas-2023-HB2935-Comm_Sub.html
| 88R19286 BDP-D | |||
| By: Lopez of Cameron | H.B. No. 2935 | ||
| Substitute the following for H.B. No. 2935: | |||
| By: Herrero | C.S.H.B. No. 2935 | ||
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| relating to veterans placed on community supervision or confined in | ||
| the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. | ||
| BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
| SECTION 1. Section 501.024(b), Government Code, is amended | ||
| to read as follows: | ||
| (b) The department shall: | ||
| (1) in consultation with the Texas Veterans | ||
| Commission, investigate and verify the veteran status of each | ||
| inmate by using the best available federal data; and | ||
| (2) use the data described by Subdivision (1) to | ||
| assist inmates who are veterans in applying for: | ||
| (A) federal benefits or compensation for which | ||
| the inmates may be eligible under a program administered by the | ||
| United States Department of Veterans Affairs; and | ||
| (B) state benefits or compensation for which the | ||
| inmates may be eligible under any state law or program. | ||
| SECTION 2. Subchapter C, Chapter 501, Government Code, is | ||
| amended by adding Section 501.1021 to read as follows: | ||
| Sec. 501.1021. REENTRY AND REINTEGRATION SERVICES FOR | ||
| VETERANS. (a) The department shall develop a comprehensive plan to | ||
| ensure the successful reentry and reintegration into the community | ||
| following discharge or release on parole or to mandatory | ||
| supervision from the department of inmates whose veteran status has | ||
| been verified by the department under Section 501.024(b)(1). The | ||
| reentry and reintegration plan developed under this section must: | ||
| (1) utilize all benefits that the inmate is eligible | ||
| for as determined by the department under Section 501.024(b)(2) to | ||
| provide for the following, as applicable, after the inmate's | ||
| discharge or release on parole or to mandatory supervision: | ||
| (A) housing; | ||
| (B) employment; | ||
| (C) education; | ||
| (D) financial support for the inmate's family; | ||
| and | ||
| (E) medical or mental health care; and | ||
| (2) require the department to maintain written | ||
| documentation in the inmate's file that describes each benefit the | ||
| inmate is eligible for and how the plan utilizes the benefit. | ||
| (b) The department may contract with private vendors or | ||
| other entities to implement the comprehensive reentry and | ||
| reintegration plan as required by this section. | ||
| SECTION 3. Chapter 509, Government Code, is amended by | ||
| adding Section 509.0042 to read as follows: | ||
| Sec. 509.0042. VETERANS BENEFITS PLAN. The division shall | ||
| require each department to develop and implement a comprehensive | ||
| plan to: | ||
| (1) determine if a defendant placed on community | ||
| supervision is a veteran; and | ||
| (2) assist the defendant in obtaining any federal or | ||
| state veterans benefits for which the defendant is eligible to | ||
| provide for the following, as applicable, during the defendant's | ||
| term of community supervision: | ||
| (A) housing; | ||
| (B) employment; | ||
| (C) education; | ||
| (D) financial support for the defendant's | ||
| family; and | ||
| (E) medical or mental health care. | ||
| SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023. | ||
