SCT H.B. 2087 75(R)BILL ANALYSIS


STATE FEDERAL & INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
H.B. 2087
By: Raymond
4-21-97
Committee Report (Unamended)



BACKGROUND 

Texas is one of the few state that does not provide state cemeteries for
veterans. There are a few veterans cemeteries in the state, but a number
are closed, and many individual veterans are more than 500 miles from the
nearest active cemetery. A profile of Texas developed by the VA National
Cemetery System concluded in August 1994 that 681,283 Texas veterans were
not being served by the existing cemetery system. 

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs will provide 50 percent of the
funds for construction of a state veterans cemetery and the state's
contribution can be reduced by the value of the land. 

PURPOSE

HB 2087 directs the Texas Veterans Commission to study the need for and
the feasibility of establishing state cemeteries for veterans. The study
will consider services provided by existing federal or county veterans
cemeteries and and whether any land currently owned by the state is
suitable for the establishment of state veterans cemeteries. In addition,
the study will determine which federal money is available to pay for the
part of the construction cost of the state veterans cemeteries. 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any
additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency or
institution. 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1.  Amends Subchapter A, Chapter 434, Government Code, by adding
Section                                     434.0076 which states that: 
                      (a) the legislature finds that this state is one of
the few states that does not provide                         state
cemeteries for veterans and that it is the intent of the legislature to
determine                          the extent to which there exists a need
to provide state cemeteries for veterans; 
                      (b) the Texas Veterans Commission shall contract
with a qualified consulting firm                         to study the need
for and feasibility of establishing a system of state veterans
cemeteries; 
                      (c) the commission is required to enter into a
contract under this section only if the                        legislature
appropriates the money for that purpose and may use available resources
to conduct its own study of the issue; and 
                     (d) this Section expires June 1, 2001.
 
SECTION 2.  Effective Date is September 1, 1997.

SECTION 3.  Emergency clause.