Enrolled Bill Summary

            Senate Bill 655, relating to the military and veterans, directs the secretary of state to study the feasibility and cost of allowing members of the armed forces on overseas duty, or their spouses or dependents who are outside the United States during early voting and election day, to vote electronically. The study is due to the legislature by December 1, 2005. The bill amends the Natural Resources Code to require the Veterans' Land Board, on request, to provide to a lending institution information regarding state land and housing benefits programs for Texas veterans. An amendment to the Government Code requires the Texas Workforce Commission to include on forms relating to state agency employment a statement of the statutory requirement for a veterans employment preference. A new Government Code subchapter directs the Department of Information Resources to establish and maintain on TexasOnline a veterans website. The bill encourages website-participant state agencies to allow veterans to electronically file for veterans benefits and authorizes the website to provide a means for veterans to file electronically for selected federal veterans benefits. It requires the Texas Veterans Commission to create biennially an electronic version of a state veterans benefit booklet and to distribute both that version and printed copies to veterans county service officers (VCSOs) and to the personnel offices of federal and state military installations throughout Texas. Other provisions of the bill relate to electronic delivery of a veterans newsletter, electronic initiation of benefits claims by VCSOs, and provision of refurbished computers at no cost to VCSOs by the Texas Veterans Commission working in concert with the Windham School District.