By King of Uvalde                                      H.B. No. 745
         77R3335 JRD-F                           
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to establishing a permanent fund for certain veterans'
 1-3     care purposes.
 1-4           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-5           SECTION 1. Subchapter G, Chapter 403, Government Code, is
 1-6     amended by adding Section 403.108 to read as follows:
 1-7           Sec. 403.108.  PERMANENT FUND FOR VETERANS' CARE. (a)  The
 1-8     permanent fund for veterans' care is a special fund in the state
 1-9     treasury outside the general revenue fund.  The fund is composed
1-10     of:
1-11                 (1)  money transferred to the fund at the direction of
1-12     the legislature;
1-13                 (2)  gifts and grants contributed to the fund; and
1-14                 (3)  the available earnings of the fund determined in
1-15     accordance with Section 403.1068.
1-16           (b)  Except as provided by Subsections (c) and (e), money in
1-17     the fund may not be appropriated for any purpose.
1-18           (c)  The available earnings of the fund may be appropriated
1-19     to:
1-20                 (1)  the Veterans' Land Board for programs relating to
1-21     veterans' homes under Chapter 164, Natural Resources Code;
1-22                 (2)  the Texas Veterans Commission:
1-23                       (A)  to make grants to counties for the purpose
1-24     of purchasing burial grounds for veterans under Section 713.029,
 2-1     Health and Safety Code; and
 2-2                       (B)  if the commission is authorized to do so
 2-3     under other law, to design, build, and operate a system of state
 2-4     veterans' cemeteries; and
 2-5                 (3)  the Texas Veterans Commission to improve or
 2-6     enhance veterans' health care and to make grants to local
 2-7     communities to address veterans' health care needs.
 2-8           (d)  The Texas Veterans Commission shall adopt rules
 2-9     governing the award of grants by the commission under this section.
2-10           (e)  The comptroller may solicit and accept gifts and grants
2-11     to the fund.  A gift or grant to the fund may be appropriated in
2-12     the same manner as the available earnings of the fund, subject to
2-13     any limitation or requirement placed on the gift or grant by the
2-14     donor or granting entity.
2-15           (f)  Sections 403.095 and 404.071 do not apply to the fund.
2-16           SECTION 2. Section 403.1068(a), Government Code, is amended
2-17     to read as follows:
2-18           (a)  This section applies only to management of the permanent
2-19     funds established under Sections 403.105, 403.1055, 403.106,
2-20     403.1065, [and] 403.1066, and 403.108.
2-21           SECTION 3. On the effective date of this Act, the comptroller
2-22     shall transfer $150 million from the general revenue fund to the
2-23     permanent fund for veterans' care established by Section 403.108,
2-24     Government Code, as added by this Act.
2-25           SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2001.