AUSTIN, Texas – Texans have donated more than $173,000 to support the Texas Veterans Commission Fund for Veterans’ Assistance since House Bill 3710 went into effect on Sept. 1, 2015.
Signed into law last June, H.B. 3710 added an option for individuals applying for or renewing a License to Carry a Handgun to make a voluntary contribution to the FVA, similar to the option already available for Texas driver licenses.
“These generous donations will go to local organizations that serve veterans in their community,” said Charles Catoe, Director of the FVA. “Contributions from House Bill 3710 will allow the program to fund more organizations offering much-needed services that focus on helping veterans achieve a better quality of life.”
All donations collected go to the Texas Veterans Commission Fund for Veterans’ Assistance program, which provides grants to veteran service organizations and nonprofit charitable institutions that assist veterans and their families at the community level throughout Texas. Since 2009, the Texas Veterans Commission has awarded nearly $55M in 307 grants to 132 nonprofit and local government entities. With these funds, FVA-supported organizations have served over 210,000 Texas veterans, their families, and survivors.
While the program does not provide direct grants to veterans, veterans in need of assistance can visit the “Grants Awarded” section of TVC’s website for a complete listing of the organizations offering services in their area.
Currently, the Texas Veterans Commission FVA program also receives funding from the proceeds of a $2 scratch-off lottery special interest ticket. Since its introduction in November 2009, sales of the lottery game have provided more than $50 million to the FVA. Individuals can also support the FVA by making an online donation through https://txapps.texas.gov/tolapp/fva/home.do.
For more information on the Fund for Veterans’ Assistance, visit: http://www.tvc.texas.gov/Fund-for-Veterans-Assistance.aspx