AUSTIN, TX – The Senate Committee on Veteran Affairs will meet Tuesday, May 3 to hear invited testimony on its legislative interim charges, including how to create jobs and maximize employment benefits for veterans in Texas’ top-tier global economy.

“Texas military veterans make some of the best employees and entrepreneurs in the workforce,” said Chairman Kelly Hancock. “We look forward to partnering with the private sector to find new ways we can provide our state’s veterans with exceptional career opportunities that recognize their unique skill sets and help drive the Texas economy.”

The hearing will include testimony from a number of Texas’ largest employers and trade associations as well as veteran groups and related government agencies. The robust discussion will also cover the following interim charges:

• State Veteran Cemeteries: Evaluate the current oversight of the Texas State Veteran Cemeteries to ensure that these sacred and essential grounds are being maintained, repaired, and treated with respect. Ensure that the needs of our veterans are being met by reviewing the number, location, and funding of the cemeteries. Examine and make recommendations for the financing mechanism for the Texas State Veterans Cemeteries to ensure sustainability.
• Veteran Mental Health: Review the currently accepted forms of treatment for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and consider the creation of a program which would require completion of a multi-modality treatment plan including traditional talk therapy, limbic system therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), and emotionally focused individual therapy (EFIT).
• Veteran Mental Health: Identify the training and resources available to urban and rural first responders when assisting veterans experiencing a mental health crisis. Make recommendations for how to best support first responders in these crisis situations.

Members of the public and the press are invited to observe the hearing live in-person in room E1.012 of the Texas State Capitol or online at https://www.senate.texas.gov/av-live.php. The hearing begins at 1:00 PM.

For more information on the Texas Senate Veteran Affairs Committee, visit https://www.senate.texas.gov/cmte.php?c=650.

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