Bill: HB 3726, 84(R) - 2015
Committee
House Defense & Veterans' Affairs
Vote Recommendation
| Vote Recommendation |
Economic Freedom |
Property Rights |
Personal Responsibility |
Limited Government |
Individual Liberty |
| Neutral |
Neutral |
Neutral |
Neutral |
Neutral |
Neutral |
Author(s)
Joe Farias
Bill Caption
Relating to establishing a veterans reentry program for certain inmates and state jail defendants confined by the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.
Fiscal Notes
No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.
Bill Analysis
This legislation would amend Government Code to require the Texas Department of Criminal
Justice (TDCJ) to establish a veterans services coordinator to coordinate responses to the needs
of veterans under the supervision of TDCJ, as well as those on parole, and would require the coordinator to coordinate veterans'
services for all of TDCJ's divisions with the attorney general's office, to
provide each incarcerated veteran a child support modification application. This bill also requires TDCJ to create a voluntary rehabilitation and transition program for
defendants confined in state jail felony facilities who are veterans of the U.S. armed forces who suffer from a brain injury, a mental illness, a mental disorder, including post-traumatic
stress disorder, or substance abuse that occurred during or resulted from the veteran's military
service and may have contributed to their criminal activity.
Vote Recommendation Notes
While we strongly support the efforts of rehabilitation of our veterans, including voluntary programs, we also reject this example of government showing preference to one particular class of patients. Because of this conflict, and because this bill does not weigh for or against the principles we use when providing bill analysis, we will remain neutral.
