1-1     By:  Fraser                                            S.B. No. 976
 1-2           (In the Senate - Filed February 27, 2001; March 1, 2001, read
 1-3     first time and referred to Committee on Finance; April 2, 2001,
 1-4     reported favorably by the following vote:  Yeas 11, Nays 0;
 1-5     April 2, 2001, sent to printer.)
 1-6                            A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-7                                   AN ACT
 1-8     relating to establishing a permanent fund for veterans care.
 1-9           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-10           SECTION 1.  Subchapter G, Chapter 403, Government Code, is
1-11     amended by adding Section 403.108 to read as follows:
1-12           Sec. 403.108.  PERMANENT FUND FOR VETERANS CARE.  (a)  The
1-13     permanent fund for veterans care is a special fund in the state
1-14     treasury outside the general revenue fund.  The fund is composed
1-15     of:
1-16                 (1)  money transferred to the fund at the direction of
1-17     the legislature;
1-18                 (2)  gifts and grants contributed to the fund; and
1-19                 (3)  the available earnings of the fund determined in
1-20     accordance with Section 403.1068.
1-21           (b)  Except as provided by Subsections (c) and (d), money in
1-22     the fund may not be appropriated for any purpose.
1-23           (c)  The available earnings of the fund may be appropriated
1-24     to fund, enhance, and improve veterans programs as directed by the
1-25     legislature.
1-26           (d)  The comptroller may solicit and accept gifts and grants
1-27     to the fund.  A gift or grant to the fund may be appropriated in
1-28     the same manner as the available earnings of the fund, subject to
1-29     any limitation or requirement placed on the gift or grant by the
1-30     donor or granting entity.
1-31           (e)  Sections 403.095 and 404.071 do not apply to the fund.
1-32           SECTION 2.  Subsection (a), Section 403.1068, Government
1-33     Code, is amended to read as follows:
1-34           (a)  This section applies only to management of the permanent
1-35     funds established under Sections 403.105, 403.1055, 403.106,
1-36     403.1065, [and] 403.1066, and 403.108.
1-37           SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2001.
1-38                                  * * * * *