** REVISION ** SENATE NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING COMMITTEE: Veteran Affairs & Military Installations TIME & DATE: 10:00AM, Tuesday, September 12, 2006 PLACE: Webster, TX CHAIR: Senator Leticia Van de Putte ___________________________________________________________________________ The Senate Committee on Veteran Affairs and Military Installations will meet on September 12, 2006, at the Webster Civic Center, 311 Pennsylvania Ave., Webster, Texas 77598 at 10:00am. The Committee will then meet jointly with the Subcommittee on Base Realignment and Closure at 12:00pm. The Committee will meet to discuss the following: Invited testimony on Ellington Field, as well as testimony on interim charges 1,2,and 3. 1. Examine issues and problems with overseas military voting and explore the possibility of establishing a single point of contact for Texas military voters. Consider requirements of the federal Uniformed and Overseas Citizen Absentee Voting Act and review systems established in other states. 2. Compile an inventory of state veterans' benefits, including health care facilities and nursing homes across the state, the state veteran cemetery system, job training programs, educational benefits, and re-employment rights issues, and the Texas Veteran Land Board Loan Programs, and make recommendations for improving efficiency and effectiveness. 3. Monitor the implementation of legislation transferring the veteran employment programs under the Texas Workforce Commission to the Texas Veterans Commission. Monitor the implementation of legislation establishing a database in the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board that tracks veterans' usage of the Hazlewood higher education tuition exemption. ___________________________________________________________________________