SENATE NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING COMMITTEE: Veteran Affairs & Military Installations TIME & DATE: 9:00AM, Tuesday, September 26, 2006 PLACE: El Paso, Texas CHAIR: Senator Leticia Van de Putte ___________________________________________________________________________ The Senate Committee on Veteran Affairs and Military Installations will meet in El Paso, Texas. The hearing will be held at the El Paso Community College Transmountain Campus, 9570 Gateway Blvd. North, El Paso, Texas 79924 at 9:00am. The Committee will meet jointly with the Senate Subcommittee on Base Realignment and Closure. The Committee will hear invited and public testimony on the following interim charges: 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 issue, 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. ___________________________________________________________________________