Bill Text: TX HB3543 | 2013-2014 | 83rd Legislature | Comm Sub
Bill Title: Relating to training, certification, and accreditation provided or regulated by the Texas Veterans Commission.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2013-04-25 - Laid on the table subject to call [HB3543 Detail]
Download: Texas-2013-HB3543-Comm_Sub.html
83R9127 MMC-F | ||
By: Menendez, Moody | H.B. No. 3543 |
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relating to training, certification, and accreditation provided or | ||
regulated by the Texas Veterans Commission. | ||
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
SECTION 1. Sections 434.038(d) and (e), Government Code, | ||
are amended to read as follows: | ||
(d) The commission shall develop standard course materials, | ||
training curriculum, and examinations to be used for county service | ||
officer certification and United States Department of Veterans | ||
Affairs accreditation. [ |
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(e) The commission shall: | ||
(1) maintain course materials and examinations in a | ||
central location and provide county service offices and commission | ||
field staff with access to the course materials on the commission's | ||
Internet website; | ||
(2) regularly update course materials, training | ||
curriculum, and examinations after consulting with: | ||
(A) the United States Department of Veterans | ||
Affairs to ensure the course materials, training curriculum, and | ||
examinations are accurate and meet applicable United States | ||
Department of Veterans Affairs requirements; and | ||
(B) accredited county service officers to ensure | ||
the materials, training curriculum, and examinations include | ||
issues developing at the county level; [ |
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(3) develop a training handbook containing | ||
instruction and case studies addressing: | ||
(A) general assistance techniques, including how | ||
to provide general information regarding state and federal benefits | ||
and referrals for other services and to other agencies, and general | ||
information regarding state and federal benefits; | ||
(B) basic counseling approaches for assisting | ||
veterans, their family members, and other eligible dependents | ||
filing benefit claims; | ||
(C) basic information on United States | ||
Department of Veterans Affairs processes and procedures, including | ||
how to accurately complete claims and appeals forms and how to | ||
support claims; | ||
(D) methods of collecting required documentation | ||
and developing claims and appeals; | ||
(E) methods of documenting progress and updating | ||
a veteran's, a veteran's family member's, or another eligible | ||
dependent's case information; | ||
(F) methods of assisting veterans, their family | ||
members, or other eligible dependents in pursuing appeals, | ||
including offering case knowledge in appeals hearings; and | ||
(G) methods of representing veterans, their | ||
family members, or other eligible dependents during appeals | ||
hearings; and | ||
(4) coordinate with the Department of State Health | ||
Services to incorporate a suicide prevention component as part of | ||
the accreditation training and examination. | ||
SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2013. |