April 2024:   Texas Lawyers for Texas Veterans Legal Clinics Calendar:  This list is compiled and maintained by the State Bar of Texas.  Most legal clinics require an appointment to attend.   NOTE: Income restrictions may apply. Veterans should contact the clinics directly for more information or to sign up.   
About Texas Lawyers for Texas Veterans:
Texas Lawyers for Texas Veterans (TLTV) is a program implemented by the State Bar of Texas and 2010-2011 State Bar of Texas President Terry Tottenham to address a specific need, providing pro bono civil legal clinics throughout the state to veterans and their families who otherwise cannot afford or do not have access to essential legal services.  The TLTV initiative is a collaborative effort of the local bar associations, legal aid groups, and volunteer attorneys across the state by providing free legal assistance. 

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February 2024:  This year's Texas State Veterans Benefits book.  

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November 2023:  All WWII Veterans are now eligible for no-cost VA health care and nursing home services:  VA health system to provide or pay for all WWII Veterans nursing home level care in a VA medical facility or VA medical facility contract with a civilian nursing home.  

The Department of Veterans Affairs announced that all World War II Veterans are now eligible for no-cost VA health care, medical services, and nursing home care.  All WWII Veterans who served between Dec. 7, 1941, and Dec. 31, 1946, are eligible under this expansion, regardless of their length of service or financial status. These Veterans will not have to pay copays, enrollment fees or monthly premiums.  VA is reaching out by phone and mail to encourage WWII Veterans who are not currently enrolled in VA care to apply today. Veterans who enroll may also keep their private providers, Medicare, and most other insurance to meet their health care needs.

“These members of Greatest Generation answered the call to serve when our nation – and the world – needed them most. Now, it’s our job to serve them in every way that we can,” said VA Under Secretary for Health, Dr. Shereef Elnahal. “We are proud to provide world-class, no-cost health care to these heroes at VA, and we encourage all of them to enroll today.”

All WWII Veterans are encouraged to enroll in VA health care – the best, most-affordable health care in America for Veterans. Veterans who are enrolled in VA health care are proven to have better health outcomes than non-enrolled Veterans, and VA hospitals have dramatically outperformed non-VA hospitals in overall quality ratings and patient satisfaction ratings. 

Veterans who were not approved for VA health care in the past due to income limits should apply again; income levels no longer apply due to this expansion. VA cannot automatically enroll these Veterans in health care; WWII Veterans must apply for VA health care if they are not currently enrolled.

This expansion is made possible through the Joseph Maxwell Cleland and Robert Joseph Dole Memorial Veterans Benefits and Health Care Improvement Act of 2022 (Cleland-Dole Act), signed in December 2022. To apply for VA health care, visit VA’s health care enrollment website, call 1-800-MyVA411 (800-698-2411), or visit your nearest VA medical center or clinic.

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October 2023:  Free Meals, Discounts and Offers for Veterans Day:    Veterans Day 2023 is Saturday, November 11. Check out this year's list of free meals, retail discounts and other ways businesses and organizations are showing appreciation for Veterans this Veterans Day and year-round. 
https://news.va.gov/125193/2023-veterans-day-discounts-free-meals/

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September 2023:  Pentagon working to restore benefits to LGBTQ+ veterans By Tara Copp ASSOCIATED PRESS WASHINGTON — The Pentagon began a new effort to contact former service members who may have been forced out of the military and deprived of years of benefits due to policies targeting their sexual orientation, starting with those who served under “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.”  
Under DADT, which was enacted in 1994 by President Bill Clinton and in effect until 2011, service members who had other than heterosexual orientation could serve — as long as they kept it quiet. That led to years of discrimination, undue pressure, discharges and lost benefits.
Under DADT and previous military policies forbidding gay, lesbian, bisexual, trans-gender or queer personnel from serving, at least 32,837 service members since 1980 were forced out of the military for their sexual orientation, according to Department of Defense data.
More than 2,000 of those service members received general, other than honorable, or unknown discharge characterizations “that may have denied them access to veterans benefits, like home loans, health care, GI Bill tuition assistance and even some government jobs,” Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks said.
“We know correcting these records cannot fully restore the dignity taken from LGBTQ+ service members when they were expelled from the military,” Hicks said. “It doesn’t completely heal the unseen wounds that were left, it doesn’t make people whole again, even for those many who received honorable discharges. But this is yet another step we’re taking to make sure we do right by those who served honorably.”

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September 2023:  Natural Disaster one pager to educate veterans about fraud that occurs during natural disasters.  During natural disasters, Veterans can be highly targeted by various scams and fraudulent activities when their homes have been impacted and have damage. Scammers might take advantage of the chaos and desperation that often these events bring. Attached are some tools to help protect you and loved ones during these difficult times.  

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September 2023:  AACOG Weatherization Assistance Program is funded by Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs and United States Department of Energy.  Program is designed to help low-income people overcome high cost of energy by installing weatherization energy conservation measures in their homes - at no cost. Program is open to applicants whose overall household income falls at or below 150% of Federal Poverty Level.  Home owners and renters can apply.

click here for Weatherization Assistance Program Brochure...

click here for AACOG WAP Information Flyer...

click here for AACOG WAP Application...

click here for Weatherization for Rental Properties Available...

click here for Housing for Texas Heroes Grant information...

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April 11, 2023:  Buddy Check Day - 11th of Each Month - Texas Govt. Code: The 11th of each month was established by the State of Texas as "Buddy Check Day" in 2021.  The 11th day of each month is Buddy Check Day to encourage veterans to contact other veterans, including those with whom they served, who may need assistance. 

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April 2022:  Texas Department of Housing and Community Affair:  Information on Fair Housing Rights and Section 8 Waiting List Opening May 2022 Housing Choice Voucher for Low Income Persons.  If you have questions, please contact the POC listed in the attachments. 

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January 2022: Change to DV Texas License Plates & ADA Handicap Parking Spots:  As of January 1, 2022, anyone parking in a disabled parking space must have a disabled person license plate or a disabled parking placard that features the International Symbol of Access (ISA). Currently, disabled veteran license plates do not feature the ISA.
Texans with disabled veteran license plates wishing to use disabled parking spaces in 2022 may apply for a disabled parking placard or for a new disabled veteran license plate featuring the ISA. The veteran must meet the eligibility requirements for a disabled parking placard or disabled person license plate featuring the ISA. Not all disabilities that qualify a veteran for disabled veteran license plates will qualify a veteran for a disabled veteran license plate featuring the ISA.
As of January 1, 2022, you may apply for a disabled parking placard and/or disabled veteran license plate at the office of your local county tax assessor-collector. 
This is the link to apply for the ADA Placard:    https://www.txdmv.gov/motorists/disabled-parking-placards-plates

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September 2021:  National Park passes - Free for Veterans:  Are you eligible?  For purposes of this program, a Veteran is identified as an individual who has served in the United States Armed Forces, including the National Guard and Reserves, and is able to present one of the following forms of valid (unexpired) identification:

• Department of Defense Identification Card
• Veteran Health Identification Card (VHIC)
• Veteran ID Card
• Veterans designation on a state-issued U.S. driver’s license or identification card

For more information: https://blogs.va.gov/VAntage/80547/veterans-gold-star-families-get-free-entrance-national-parks-refuges-public-lands/?utm_source=VRfeature&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=VetResources&utm_id=VetResources+Sep+15+2021

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September 2021: Change to DV Texas License Plates & ADA Handicap Parking Spots:  Effective September 1, 2021, TX DV license plates recipients must hang the ADA placard in their vehicle to be able to park in ADA parking spaces. 
Effective December 1, 2021, the DMV will require every recipient to get the ADA placard application signed by their doctors, DMV will no longer issue it automatically.  
This is the link to apply for the ADA Placard:    https://www.txdmv.gov/motorists/disabled-parking-placards-plates

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Disabled Veterans eligible for free National Park Service Lifetime Access Pass:  Veterans who have been medically determined to have a disability are eligible for the Lifetime Access Pass—with three options for obtaining the pass:

First, Veterans with disability documentation can order the Access Pass onlinefor a $10 processing fee which includes standard shipping. Documentation required includes:

• Proof of residency
• VA disability award letter, VA summary of benefits, or proof of SSDI income

Second, the Interagency Access Pass may be obtained through the mail. Download a paper application from https://store.usgs.gov/access-pass. Follow the instructions on the website and pay the document processing fee of $10.  Once the application package is received by USGS, the documentation will be verified and a pass imprinted with the pass owner’s name will be mailed to the applicant.

Passes ordered online or through the mail will be delivered 3 to 4 weeks after receipt of documentation and processing payment.

A third option is for disabled Veterans to visit a participatingfederal recreation site where interagency passes are issued, present photo identification (e.g., Driver’s license, State ID, birth certificate, Passport, or permanent resident card), provide documentation of permanent disability, or read and sign a Statement of Permanent Disability affidavit. That’s It. The Pass is free and issued at the time of entry.

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September 2019:  On-Base Shopping Eligibility Expands January 1:  Beginning in the new year more than 3 million service-connected disabled veterans with VA ratings from zero to 90 percent will be authorized on-base exchange and commissary shopping privileges, as well as access to certain MWR facilities, but you must have a VA-issued Veteran Health Identification Card, or VHIC, to gain access. The VHIC is issued only to veterans who are enrolled in the VA health care system. You can apply online, or in person at your local VA medical facility. Family members of the newly eligible veterans will not be authorized to shop, but will be permitted on-base as guests of the VHIC-carrying veteran. Veterans who do not reside near a military installation can still shop online at the four military exchanges. Search for stores at ShopMyExchange, Marine Corps Exchange, Navy Exchange, and Coast Guard Exchange. Caregivers will be processed differently, initially, since they have no military or VA affiliation. The VA will post a memo to VA.gov for caregivers to be used for access at the front gate, along with a driver’s license. This process is expected to transition to a caregiver-type ID card, which will have scanning swipe capability. One hundred percent disabled veterans, their spouses, and eligible dependents already have access because they are issued military identification cards.

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