Bill Text: TX HB3031 | 2023-2024 | 88th Legislature | Engrossed
Bill Title: Relating to a grant program for members of the Texas military forces experiencing financial hardship caused by a tax withholding error.
Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill
Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2023-05-16 - Referred to Vet Affairs [HB3031 Detail]
Download: Texas-2023-HB3031-Engrossed.html
| 88R3753 JCG-D | ||
| By: Johnson of Dallas, Wilson, Bumgarner, | H.B. No. 3031 | |
| Garcia, et al. | ||
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| relating to a grant program for members of the Texas military forces | ||
| experiencing financial hardship caused by a tax withholding error. | ||
| BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
| SECTION 1. Subchapter E, Chapter 437, Government Code, is | ||
| amended by adding Section 437.233 to read as follows: | ||
| Sec. 437.233. GRANT PROGRAM FOR FINANCIAL HARDSHIP CAUSED | ||
| BY TAX WITHHOLDING ERROR. (a) The department shall establish and | ||
| administer a grant program to assist members of the Texas military | ||
| forces who experience financial hardship caused by a federal tax | ||
| withholding error in connection with the compensation paid to | ||
| members who served in Operation Lone Star in 2021 or 2022. | ||
| (b) A member of the Texas military forces is eligible for a | ||
| grant under this section if: | ||
| (1) the department erroneously withheld an | ||
| insufficient amount from the member's compensation for service in | ||
| Operation Lone Star in 2021 or 2022 to cover the federal income tax | ||
| imposed on that compensation; | ||
| (2) the member certifies in the grant application that | ||
| the member did not have actual knowledge of the withholding error; | ||
| and | ||
| (3) the member demonstrates that the withholding error | ||
| caused the member financial hardship. | ||
| (c) The department: | ||
| (1) may establish additional eligibility criteria for | ||
| grant applicants; and | ||
| (2) shall establish: | ||
| (A) grant application procedures; | ||
| (B) guidelines relating to grant amounts that | ||
| ensure that a grant to a member does not exceed the difference | ||
| between the amount the member owed in federal income taxes on | ||
| compensation the member received for service in Operation Lone Star | ||
| in 2021 or 2022 and the amount withheld for federal income taxes; | ||
| and | ||
| (C) criteria for evaluating grant applications. | ||
| (d) Not later than December 1, 2024, the department shall | ||
| report to the governor and the legislature on the results and | ||
| performance of the grant program. | ||
| (e) This section expires January 1, 2025. | ||
| SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives | ||
| a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as | ||
| provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this | ||
| Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this | ||
| Act takes effect September 1, 2023. | ||
