Interim Report to the 85th Texas Legislature House Committee on Defense and Veterans’ Affairs December 2016 HOUSE COMMITTEE ON DEFENSE AND VETERANS' AFFAIRS TEXAS HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES INTERIM REPORT 2016 A REPORT TO THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 85TH TEXAS LEGISLATURE SUSAN LEWIS KING CHAIR JAMES FRANK VICE CHAIR JIMMIE DON AYCOCK MATT SCHAEFER MATT SHAHEEN CÉSAR BLANCO JOHN LUJAN COMMITTEE DIRECTOR PAUL THEOBALD Committee On Defense and Veterans' Affairs NovemberDecember 5,2, 2016 Susan Lewis King P.O. Box 2910 Chairman Austin, Texas 78768-2910 The Honorable Joe Straus Speaker, Texas House of Representatives Members of the Texas House of Representatives Texas State Capitol, Rm. 2W.13 Austin, Texas 78701 Dear Mr. Speaker and Fellow Members: The Committee on Defense and Veterans' Affairs of the Eighty-fourth Legislature hereby submits its interim report including interim work by the Committee and legislative considerations for the Eighty-fifth Legislature. Respectfully submitted, _______________________ Susan Lewis King, Chair _______________________ ______________________ James Frank, Vice-Chair Jimmie Don Aycock _______________________ ______________________ Matt Schaefer Matt Shaheen _______________________ ______________________ César Blanco John Lujan Susan Lewis King Chair James Frank Vice-Chair Members: Jimmie Don Aycock, Matt Schaefer, Matt Shaheen, César Blanco, John Lujan TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ............................................................................................................ 7 LETTER FROM THE CHAIR ................................................................................................... 8 INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................................... 9 BACKGROUND ........................................................................................................................ 9 INTERIM STUDY CHARGES .................................................................................................... 11 TOPIC 1: MAINTAINING THE MILITARY VALUE OF DEFENSE INSTALLATIONS AND COMMUNITIES ............................................................................................................. 11 TOPIC 2: EDUCATION AND EMPLOYMENT BARRIERS FOR VETERANS AND SERVICE MEMBERS ............................................................................................................. 12 TOPIC 3: OVERSIGHT OF LEGISLATION PASSED BY THE HOUSE IN THE 84TH LEGISLATURE WHICH BECAME LAW ............................................................................. 12 TOPIC 1: MAINTAINING THE MILITARY VALUE OF DEFENSE COMMUNITIES AND INSTALLATIONS ....................................................................................................................... 13 HEARINGS .............................................................................................................................. 13 INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................... 13 TESTIMONY ........................................................................................................................... 15 2 JUNE 2016- EL PASO ...................................................................................................... 15 24 AUGUST 2016- WICHITA FALLS ............................................................................... 18 SUBMITTED WRITTEN TESTIMONY, PERSONS NOT PRESENT ............................. 31 TOPIC 2: EDUCATION AND EMPLOYMENT BARRIERS FOR VETERANS AND SERVICE MEMBERS ................................................................................................................. 33 HEARINGS .............................................................................................................................. 33 TESTIMONY ........................................................................................................................... 33 2 JUNE 2016- EL PASO ...................................................................................................... 33 HISTORY OF HAZLEWOOD................................................................................................. 35 HAZLEWOOD ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS................................................................. 36 HAZLEWOOD LEGACY ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS ............................................... 37 TESTIMONY ........................................................................................................................... 38 13 SEPTEMBER 2016- AUSTIN ........................................................................................ 38 TOPIC 3: OVERSIGHT OF LEGISLATION PASSED BY THE HOUSE IN THE 84TH LEGISLATURE WHICH BECAME LAW ................................................................................. 56 HEARINGS .............................................................................................................................. 56 TESTIMONY ........................................................................................................................... 56 84th SESSION LEGISLATION UPDATES ............................................................................. 59 CONSIDERATIONS FOR THE 85TH LEGISLATURE AND FUTURE SESSIONS ................ 86 INTERIM CHARGE ONE ....................................................................................................... 86 INTERIM CHARGE TWO ...................................................................................................... 86 5 INTERIM CHARGE THREE................................................................................................... 86 INTERIM CHARGE FOUR ..................................................................................................... 87 INTERIM CHARGE FIVE....................................................................................................... 87 INTERIM CHARGE SIX ......................................................................................................... 87 INTERIM CHARGE SEVEN .................................................................................................. 87 APPENDIX ................................................................................................................................... 89 TEXAS MILITARY INSTALLATIONS AND THEIR ECONOMIC IMPACT .................... 89 COMMITTEE INTERIM HEARING POSTINGS .................................................................. 93 17 MARCH 2016 .................................................................................................................. 93 2 JUNE 2016 ......................................................................................................................... 94 24 AUGUST 2016 ................................................................................................................ 97 13 SEPTEMBER 2016 ......................................................................................................... 99 DOD SITING CLEARINGHOUSE LETTER ....................................................................... 100 STEPHEN H. BONNER LETTER ......................................................................................... 105 AGENCIES, VETERAN AND SUPPORT ORGANIZATIONS .......................................... 108 ERCOT PLANNING GUIDE REVISION REQUEST (PGRR) 47 ....................................... 112 ACRONYMS .......................................................................................................................... 116 TABLE OF FIGURES ................................................................................................................ 119 ENDNOTES ............................................................................................................................... 120 6 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The Defense and Veterans’ Affairs (DVA) Committee would first like to thank all those who have served this country and particularly the 1.7 million Veterans who call Texas home. Many believe that Texas is the model for the nation in how it honors and respects those who have served or are serving in the United States military. In thanking these Veterans we must also acknowledge and appreciate the sacrifices that each of those family members endures when their Service Member is called upon. In addition, we extend the utmost gratitude to those who have served and continue to serve in our most recent conflicts in the Global War on Terrorism (GWOT) and various humanitarian and peacekeeping missions enacted in defense of liberty. Whether they serve in the Active Duty Military, the Guard, or the Reserves, the work of this Committee is for them and their successors. The Committee would also like to recognize our partners in service to Veterans including the State agencies which worked with the Committee; Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC), Department of State Health Services (DSHS), Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS), Department of Public Safety (DPS), Texas Department of Transportation (TXDOT), Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV), Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR), Texas Workforce Commission (TWC), and the agencies over which we have jurisdiction; Texas Military Department (TMD), Texas Military Preparedness Commission (TMPC), Texas Veterans Commission (TVC), Veterans Land Board (VLB), Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM), and the Emergency Management Council (EMC). In addition,