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The Texas House of Representatives subcommittee on defense and veteran affairs heard multiple bills concerning the needs of Texas veterans this week.
House Bill 2193 relates to a study by the Texas Veterans Commission (TVC) requiring a comprehensive assessment on the number of veterans eligible for benefits in each Texas county, the current number of claims benefit advisors employed by the TVC and their locations, and how these advisors can be better placed across the state to improve access.
Ray Herrera, the Wilson County veteran service officer, spoke as a witness: "House Bill 2193 will allow Texas Veterans Commission to collect the data that will support the need for more services in rural counties like Wilson. This study will ... bring more services and claim support in rural counties who do not have the budget or infrastructure to keep up with the growing demand."
Herrera added that having more accurate data on where veterans are located will help in providing future services to the underserved rural communities.
The subcommittee also heard about House Bill 1965, which relates to a study to evaluate strategies to improve mental health services provided to veterans through the TVC. The bill said the study must include recommendations on expanding the number of certified peer service coordinators.
San Antonio State Rep. Josey Garcia, author of the bill, said peer support is incredibly important in mental health treatment, especially in her own experience.
"I remember regurgitating my trauma the eighth time to a woman provider who never served, who showed me the utmost empathy," Garcia explained, "but she cried, and it broke my heart, because I knew she didn't understand where I was coming from. And I'm telling you, that was about eight years ago, and it was the last time I stepped foot in an office. So when we're talking about peer- to-peer support, what we're talking about is sitting down across from somebody who we know we don't have to explain it to because they get it."
The committee heard from witnesses in support of the bill, and it was left pending.
