HB114

HB114 makes the Texas Veterans Commission responsible for three existing veterans’ mental-health efforts previously administered through the Health and Human Services Commission: the mental-health program for veterans, the Texas Veterans and Family Alliance matching-grant program, and the veteran suicide-prevention action plan. This is primarily a transfer of responsibility, not the creation of an entirely new set of benefits. Signed June 20, 2025, it took effect September 1, 2025. Final law; official history.

The transferred mental-health program retains peer counseling, access to licensed professionals, training and technical assistance, suicide-prevention training, jail diversion including veterans treatment courts, and coordination of mental-health first-aid training for veterans and immediate family members. It also retains initiatives for women and rural veterans. The Veterans Commission must report service and training counts, evaluations and recommendations to the governor and Legislature by December 1 each year. Final law, Article 1.

The matching-grant program supports nonprofit and governmental providers serving veterans and their families, to the extent funds are appropriated. Grants must support mental-health services coordinated with other transition support. Matching contributions can include approved private or local-government cash or in-kind contributions, but not state or federal funds. No more than five percent of the appropriated program money may be used for reasonable administration costs. The law does not give every applicant a grant. Final law, Article 2.

Read the matching percentages together with SB897, not HB114 alone. HB114 carries forward 25, 50 and 100 percent tiers but expressly calls for harmonization with SB897. That separately enacted law reduces the largest-county tier from 100 to 75 percent; the current code shows 25 percent below 100,000 residents, 50 percent from 100,000 to below 250,000, and 75 percent at 250,000 or more. For programs serving multiple counties, the largest county controls. SB897 applies to grants awarded on or after September 1, 2025 and makes required implementation depend on a specified increase in appropriations, otherwise permitting implementation with other available money. This briefing does not establish that funding condition or the terms of a particular grant award. HB114, Section 4.03; SB897, all four sections; current Government Code, Sections 434.424–.425.

The suicide-prevention action plan retains requirements for collaboration, access to care, outreach, funding resources, public-private partnerships, peer coordination and justice-system needs. Its long-term reforms must be fully implemented by September 1, 2027, and its statutory subchapter expires that day. HB114 changes the responsible agency; it does not establish that these reforms have already been completed. Final law, Article 3.

Related powers, contracts, obligations, property, records and appropriated funds transfer to the Veterans Commission. The two agencies must establish a plan for transferring personnel whose functions predominantly involve the transferred work. Obsolete or duplicative provisions are repealed, but the existing Government Code grant-recipient safeguards remain; the Veterans Commission becomes responsible for checking agencies’ compliance policies. Final law, Sections 1.03 and 4.01–4.02; current code, Section 434.352(e)–(f).