BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 3872

By: Gattis

Defense & Veterans' Affairs

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Current law provides for the creation of a veterans county service office and sets forth the qualifications a person must possess to be appointed as a veterans county service officer. In addition to other statutory requirements, a person must either have certain military service experience, or be a widowed Gold Star Mother or unremarried widow of a serviceman or veteran whose death resulted from service.

H.B. 3872 expands the persons who are eligible to be considered for appointment as veterans county service officers by including the spouse of a disabled veteran who has a total disability rating based either on having a service-connected disability with a disability of 100 percent or on individual unemployability as an alternative requirement to the service credit requirement.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.

ANALYSIS

H.B. 3872 amends the Government Code to expand the list of persons eligible for appointment as veterans county service officers by including a spouse of a disabled veteran who has a total disability rating based either on having a service-connected disability with a disability rating of 100 percent or on individual unemployability as an alternative requirement to the service credit requirement.

EFFECTIVE DATE

On passage, or, if the act does not receive the necessary vote, the act takes effect September 1, 2009.