SB 635 creates a supplemental pay program for Texas military members (including National Guard) who face economic hardship due to serving on active duty. It allows eligible members to receive payments up to the lesser of the hardship amount or the difference between lost civilian income and military pay received. The bill establishes a dedicated funding account in the general revenue fund, which can be supported by legislative appropriations, gifts, or grants. This program applies to military duty occurring on or after September 1, 2025, with payments subject to available funds.
Texas Senate Bill 252 extends protections under the Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children to two specific groups: (1) children of veterans who retired (for four years after retirement if they return home on military orders), and (2) children of service members who died on duty (for four years after death). The bill requires all Texas public school districts and charter schools to post an easily accessible link on their websites about these protections and the compact. This law takes effect for the 2025-2026 school year.
SB 1338 expands tuition and fee exemptions at Texas public colleges to include siblings of military personnel who meet specific criteria. It applies to siblings of service members who were killed in action, died in service, are missing, became totally disabled due to service, or meet VA disability standards. A key condition is that the military member must have no spouse or children for the sibling to qualify. The policy change takes effect for the 2025 fall semester, covering tuition and fees for eligible Texas residents enrolled at public institutions.
Based on the provided context, HB 598's text is unavailable (not yet published, with a note directing users to a PDF that isn't accessible in this view). The bill title indicates it relates to financial assistance for survivors of certain Texas military members, but no specific provisions, eligibility criteria, or mechanisms are described in the available information. The bill was filed on November 12, 2024, and referred to the House Committee on Defense & Veterans' Affairs on March 3, 2025. Without the bill text or summary details, a factual description of its policy changes cannot be provided.
HB 241's full text is not available in the provided context, only its title and recent procedural actions. The title indicates it would establish a state employment preference for individuals residing with veterans who have a disability, though specific eligibility criteria or implementation details are not described. The bill was referred to the Defense & Veterans' Affairs committee and is currently pending after a public hearing on March 10, 2025. Without the bill's actual provisions, a detailed policy summary cannot be provided.
SB 1793 requires the Texas comptroller of public accounts to submit an annual report to the legislature by December 31 each year. The report must measure how veteran-owned businesses impact the state's economy and include estimates of employed/unemployed veterans and the number of veteran-owned businesses in Texas. This bill directly affects the comptroller's office, mandating specific data collection on veteran employment and business ownership. The report will provide lawmakers with annual data to assess veteran workforce participation, but the bill itself creates no new benefits or requirements for veterans. The bill takes effect September 1, 2025.
SB 2179 allows servicemembers and their dependents to terminate a lease early without future rent liability under specific military circumstances. It applies to leases entered or renewed on or after September 1, 2025, and covers three scenarios: (1) when a lease was signed before the tenant entered military service, (2) when a servicemember signs a lease and then receives orders for a permanent change of station or a 90+ day deployment, or (3) when a spouse guarantees a dependent’s lease and the servicemember later receives qualifying military orders. The law exempts tenants from paying rent or other lease obligations after vacating the property in these cases. Existing leases signed before the effective date remain governed by prior law.
HB 4347 allows children and dependents of qualifying military personnel or veterans to use unused tuition exemption credits from their parent or guardian. It permits active-duty service members (or veterans who would qualify but for the honorable discharge requirement) to waive unused exemption hours and transfer them to their children. After a qualifying military member's death, the exemption can be assigned to children through a spouse or legal guardian if the child doesn't otherwise qualify. The change applies to tuition and fees charged for the 2025 fall semester and later.
SB 2104 amends Texas Labor Code to prohibit employment discrimination based on "military status," which includes current service members, reservists (including National Guard), honorably discharged veterans, and spouses/children of military personnel. The bill adds military status as a protected category in existing anti-discrimination provisions, making it unlawful for employers, employment agencies, or labor organizations to discriminate in hiring, firing, terms of employment, or training programs based on this status. It explicitly preserves existing state and federal veteran preference programs (like those under Section 302.154 or Chapter 657, Government Code). This law directly affects all Texas employers, job agencies, and labor organizations by expanding protections to cover military-affiliated individuals in the workplace.
HB 2210 updates Texas law to explicitly include the United States Space Force in military and veteran definitions across multiple statutes. It adds "Space Force" to Education Code provisions granting in-state tuition benefits for active-duty military members and their families, revises the definition of "veteran" to include Space Force service, and incorporates the Space Force into Election Code and Government Code references to "armed forces" and "agency of the United States armed forces." This directly affects current and former Space Force members, their spouses, and children who may now qualify for Texas in-state tuition and veteran benefits. The bill makes no new policy changes but ensures existing benefits apply to Space Force personnel as the military branch has been established.
