Relating to establishing a pilot program to hire assistant veterans county service officers in certain counties.

HB 5638 establishes a two-year pilot program (2025-2027) to fund additional assistant veterans county service officers in specific Texas counties. It targets counties with populations under 2.1 million that include a municipality with over one million residents, allowing the Texas Commission on Veterans' Affairs to award grants to those counties for hiring these officers. The officers will provide services outlined in existing law (Section 434.035), and counties must report metrics like veterans served and claims filed by January 1, 2027. The program expires September 1, 2027, and requires a final evaluation report to determine if it should continue or expand.