Veterans ID Card

The state of Texas is considering the issuance of a Veterans ID Card, to anyone who
served honorably in the military.

A nice idea and a small way to honor veterans, just to let people know you are a vet.


81R9546 MCK-D


By: Farabee
H.B. No. 2849



A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to creating an identification card 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 434.019 to read as follows:

Sec. 434.019. MILITARY VETERAN IDENTIFICATION CARDS. (a)

In this section:

(1) "Commission" means the Texas Veterans Commission.

(2) "Veteran" means a person who:

(A) has served in:

(i) the army, navy, air force, coast guard,

or marine corps of the United States; or

(ii) the state military forces as defined

by Section 431.001; and

(B) has been honorably discharged from the branch

of the service in which the person served.

(b) The commission shall issue an identification card to

each veteran in the state who:

(1) applies for an identification card; and

(2) provides proof of the person's military service as

described by Subsection (a)(2), including proof of the veteran's

honorable discharge.

(c) The identification card must include:

(1) the full name of the veteran;

(2) a photograph of the veteran consistent with the

veteran's appearance;

(3) the branch of the armed forces in which the veteran

served;

(4) the signature of the executive director of the

Texas Veterans Commission;

(5) a brief description of the veteran, including the

veteran's height, weight, and eye color;

(6) the thumbprint of the veteran or a bar code with a

unique identification label for the veteran;

(7) the date the card was issued to the veteran; and

(8) a phone number operational 24 hours a day, seven

days a week that a person may call to verify the validity of the

identification card.

(d) On the identification card, the commission shall print:

(1) "State of Texas" and the state seal; and

(2) "This identification card certifies that (insert

name of veteran) is an honorably discharged veteran who served in

the armed forces."

(e) An identification card issued under this section

expires on a date specified by the commission.

(f) An identification card issued under this section must

be, to the extent practicable, tamper-proof.

(g) If an identification card issued under this section is

lost or stolen, the commission may:

(1) require a veteran to submit an affidavit executed

by the veteran that the identification card was lost or stolen; and

(2) issue a duplicate identification card to the

veteran.

(h) The commission may adopt rules to administer this

section.

SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2009.

This would be great if every state in the Union did the same thing.
Lets see if we can get this happening.

Contact your state officials ask them to consider doing this. Since most states do not, and
for the near future will not issue a medal to honor veterans; this would be just a little thing.

And since the vet would have to purchase the ID, it would be a "no cost" for the state.

Jerald Terwilliger
National Vice Chairman
American Cold War Veterans
www.americancoldwarvets.org
"We Remember"