bill funding JROTC military funeral honors for veterans

The text as introduced · 763 words

89R5937 SCF-D

By: Garcia of Bexar
H.B. No. 1389

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to a grant program for junior reserve officers' training

corps programs to provide military funeral honors for veterans.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 434, Government Code, is

amended by adding Section 434.0072 to read as follows:

Sec. 434.0072. GRANT PROGRAM FOR VETERAN FUNERAL SERVICES.

(a) In this section:

(1) "JROTC program" means a junior reserve officers'

training corps program for students in middle school, junior high

school, or high school established under 10 U.S.C. Section 2031.

(2) "Military funeral honors" means the services

described by 10 U.S.C. Sections 1491(b) and (c).

(3) "ROTC program" means a reserve officers' training

corps program established under 10 U.S.C. Section 2101.

(4) "Veteran" means a person who has served in:

(A) the army, navy, air force, coast guard, space

force, or marine corps of the United States; or

(B) the Texas National Guard or Texas State Guard

as defined by Section 437.001.

(b) The commission shall establish a grant program for JROTC

programs to provide military funeral honors at veteran funeral

services.

(c) A JROTC program may receive training on the requirements

and performance of military funeral honors at veteran funeral

services from a local organization with the training necessary to

perform military funeral honors, including:

(1) an ROTC program;

(2) a military honor guard;

(3) a Veterans of Foreign Wars post;

(4) a law enforcement agency;

(5) a fire department; or

(6) another nonprofit organization composed or in

service of veterans and qualified to provide training on the

requirements and performance of military funeral honors.

(d) To be eligible for a grant under this section, a JROTC

program must submit an application on the form the commission

prescribes. The commission shall post the application form on the

commission's publicly available Internet website. An application

for a grant under this section must include:

(1) the name of the local organization that trained

the JROTC program in the performance of military funeral honors at

veteran funeral services or, if the JROTC program was unable to

obtain training from a local organization, the names of the

organizations from which the JROTC program obtained training;

(2) a detailed plan for use of the grant money awarded

under this section, including for a JROTC program that intends to

purchase air rifles, details on whether the program is authorized

to purchase the air rifles and a plan for the safe use and storage of

the air rifles; and

(3) for a JROTC program awarded a grant in a preceding

school year, an explanation of the items purchased using grant

money from the preceding year that the JROTC program will continue

to use if awarded another grant.

(e) A JROTC program awarded a grant under this section shall

collaborate with community organizations to spread awareness among

veterans and veteran families of the program's availability to

perform military funeral honors in the community.

(f) Grant money awarded under this section may be used for:

(1) uniforms;

(2) air rifles, if:

(A) the school district in which the JROTC

program is located approves the purchase and use of air rifles; and

(B) the JROTC program includes in the grant

application a safe storage and use plan approved by the school

district;

(3) American flags in a size approved for providing

military funeral honors, if a flag has not been provided to a

veteran's family free of charge;

(4) bugles;

(5) audio recordings of and equipment to play TAPS; or

(6) tuition and fees for a JROTC program instructor to

enroll in a training course offered by an honor guard academy, if

the program is unable to receive training from a local

organization.

(g) A grant awarded under this section may not exceed $3,500

per school year.

(h) The commission and the Veterans' Land Board may

publicize a JROTC program awarded a grant under this section as a

resource to perform military funeral honors at veteran funeral

services in the community in which the JROTC program is located and

the JROTC program shall make its best effort to perform military

funeral honors when requested.

(i) The commission may accept gifts, grants, and donations

from any source to administer the grant program established under

this section.

SECTION 2. As soon as practicable after the effective date

of this Act, the commission shall adopt rules to implement the grant

program established under Section 434.0072, Government Code, as

added by this Act.

SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.