Texas Veteran Bonus — 2.5% TMIIIP Uplift for Hiring Texas Vets

The Texas veteran bonus adds 2.5% to your TMIIIP base rate when at least 5% of your total paid cast and crew are Texas-resident military veterans.

The Threshold: 5% of Paid Cast and Crew

The 5% threshold is calculated against your total paid cast and crew headcount — not payroll dollars. A production with 100 paid cast/crew members needs at least 5 Texas-resident veterans to qualify.

"Texas-resident veteran" means someone who: (1) served in the U.S. military and received an honorable discharge, and (2) maintains primary residency in Texas at time of employment.

Documentation Requirements

The Texas Film Commission requires documentation to verify veteran status and Texas residency. Prepare to provide:

• DD-214 (Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty) for each qualifying veteran
• Texas driver's license or other proof of Texas residency
• Payroll records confirming employment on the production

Maintain organized veteran documentation files throughout production — don't wait until post-production to collect these.

The Veteran Bonus and SAFI

San Antonio's SAFI program has its own veteran component (2%) for San Antonio-resident veterans. A production in San Antonio hiring Texas-resident veterans can claim both the TMIIIP veteran bonus (2.5%) and the SAFI veteran component (part of SAFI's structure) — they measure veterans under slightly different criteria but can apply simultaneously.

Finding Veteran Crew in Texas

Texas has a large veteran population — the second-largest in the U.S. Film production guilds and below-the-line union networks include veteran-friendly resources. The Texas Veterans Commission maintains resources for veteran employment.