MINUTES

 

SENATE COMMITTEE ON VETERAN AFFAIRS & MILITARY INSTALLATIONS

Thursday, June 17, 2010

9:00 a.m.

Fort Worth City Council Chamber, Fort Worth, Texas

 

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Pursuant to a notice posted in accordance with Senate Rule 11.18, a public hearing of the Senate Committee on Veteran Affairs & Military Installations was held on Thursday, June 17, 2010, at the Fort Worth City Council Chamber in Fort Worth, Texas.

 

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MEMBERS PRESENT:		MEMBERS ABSENT:
Senator Leticia Van de Putte, Chair Senator Wendy Davis Senator Craig Estes		Senator Eliot Shapleigh Senator Joan Huffman

 

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The chair called the meeting to order at 9:05 a.m.  There being a quorum present, the following business was transacted: 

 

The chair recognized four cadets from the J.P. Elder Middle School Junior Cadet Corps for the presentation of colors, followed by Gunnery Sergeant Farley Simon and Junior Cadet Coordinator CW4 US Army Retired Jeremiah Marshall to lead the committee in the Pledge of Allegiance.

 

Senator Van de Putte moved adoption of the minutes from the previous hearing held on May 12, 2010; without objection, it was so ordered. 

 

The chair recognized and welcomed Representative Dan Flynn to the hearing. 

 

The chair recognized Fort Worth Mayor Mike Moncrief to make welcoming remarks.

 

The chair laid out interim committee charge 7,  assess veteran workforce programs offered by state agencies and include the usefulness of creating a veteran-specific employment database, which would target job openings tailored to the skill set of Texas' returning veterans as well as job training for spouses; make recommendations to allow agencies to work more effectively and for efficient implementation of a veteran employment database. The chair recognized the following persons to provide invited testimony (see attached witness list).

 

The chair laid out interim committee charge 8, consider the mission of the State Guard and the numbers of volunteers within the State Guard; make recommendations to incentivize recruitment and retention of volunteers to the State Guard.  The chair recognized the following persons to provide invited testimony (see attached witness list). 

 

The chair recognized and welcomed Representative Marc Veasey to the hearing. 

 

The chair laid out interim committee charge 1, study veteran employment and veteran-owned small business issues, including the usefulness of creating a veteran-specific employment database to target job openings tailored to the skill sets of Texas' returning veterans; include an assessment and recommendations to best implement the veteran employment database.  The chair recognized the following persons to provide invited testimony (see attached witness list). 

 

The chair laid out interim committee charge 3, examine the use of the new GI Bill by veterans and their families in conjunction with the changes made to the Hazlewood Act during the 81st Legislature, Regular Session, as the number of service members returning from Iraq and Afghanistan continues to rise; include an assessment and recommendations on how the programs can be maximized to better serve veterans and their families. The chair recognized the following persons to provide invited testimony (see attached witness list).

 

Witnesses providing public testimony are shown on the attached list. 

 

At 12:44 p.m. Senator Davis assumed the chair.

 

The chair moved that the public testimony be closed; without objection, it was so ordered. 

 

There being no further business, at 1:06 p.m. Senator Davis moved that the Committee stand recessed subject to the call of the chair.  Without objection, it was so ordered. 

 

 

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Senator Leticia Van de Putte, Chair

 

 

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Felicia Wright, Clerk