SRC-BWC S.C.R. 17 77(R)   BILL ANALYSIS


Senate Research Center   S.C.R. 17
2001S0244/1By: Barrientos
Administration
3/23/2001
As Filed


DIGEST

State law { Section 2165.256 (State Cemetery and Other Burial Grounds),
Government Code} specifies those persons eligible for burial in the State
Cemetery and authorizes the legislature to grant eligibility to other
persons through the adoption of a concurrent resolution.  Commissioner of
the Texas Rehabilitation Commission, Vernon "Max" Arrell and his wife,
Betty B. Arrell, have expressed a desire to be buried in the State
Cemetery.  Commissioner Arrell has more than 40 years of public service to
the citizens of the State of Texas primarily in the field of rehabilitation
of persons with disabilities.  He has served as Commissioner of the Texas
Rehabilitation Commission for 20 years, the longest tenure of any sitting
chief executive officer of any state agency in Texas and has worked to
improve opportunities and the quality of life for persons with
disabilities.  Commissioner Arrell began his public service career in Texas
in 1961 as a vocational rehabilitation counselor with the Texas Education
Agency's Department of Vocational Rehabilitation, later was promoted to
programs consultant, and then became assistant director for special
programs.  In 1968, he worked for the Texas Department of Mental Health and
Mental Retardation as Assistant Director of Vocational Rehabilitation and
later became Director of the Alcoholism and Drug Abuse program.
Commissioner Arrell returned to the Vocational Rehabilitation Program in
1970, which was then a division of the newly created Texas Rehabilitation
Commission, and served in several executive level positions until 1981,
when he was appointed commissioner.  During his tenure at the Texas
Rehabilitation Commission and its predecessor agency, he had seen the
rehabilitation of over one million Texans.  He is acknowledged nationally
as an expert in the field of vocational rehabilitation and has been
appointed to numerous task forces and committee assignments at the request
of both federal and state oversight bodies.  Commissioner Arrell has
devoted his life to public service  for this state.   

PURPOSE

 As proposed, S.C.R. 17 submits the following resolutions:

That the 77th Texas Legislature hereby authorize the burial of Vernon "Max"
Arrell and wife, Betty B. Arrell, in the State Cemetery, and to insure that
proper application for assignment of burial space is made to the General
Services Commission as required by law.