Commission Says Veterans Would Benefit from $3.8M Database

The Texas Veterans Commission (TVC) is tasked with serving more than 1.5 million veterans living in the state, and it has its eye on a data system to organize outreach and advocacy communications.

A support services database would be $3.8 million and feature data aggregation, outreach management, reports and dashboards to share benefit information and resources for veterans and transitioning service members, according to its 2026-27 Legislative Appropriations Request.

Constituent vets include all calling Texas home — recently discharged, disabled, women, homeless, elderly and their family members. A Texas Coordinating Council for Veteran’s Services 2024 report offers insight into the populations served.

TVC assists by providing direct services, awarding grants to veteran-assisting organizations and connecting veterans to services. Its top priorities are to add 17 new full-time positions, followed by this database request.

A new system would take advantage of the Defense Manpower Data Center, Department of Motor Vehicles and Texas Workforce Commission’s data to track those exiting service and moving to Texas, their updated contact information and whether they are using the WorkInTexas job search site.

The system would:

• Automate email for 1.5 million
• Pull data from various databases
• Sort audiences and send targeted email
• Manage and track engagement
• Create reports based on filters

The agency uses various means to keep constituents in the loop including two websites, a newsletter, Zoom meetings, LinkedIn, Facebook and X postings. Engagement from these should be about 1.25 million in fiscal year 2024, according to its communications director. Email is the mainstay for contacting transitioning service people.