BILL ANALYSIS

C.S.H.B. 1172

By: Fletcher

Defense & Veterans' Affairs

Committee Report (Substituted)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

The fund for veterans' assistance is used by the Texas Veterans Commission to provide services to Texas veterans and their families. This assistance is vital to veterans who are seriously injured or disabled in combat.  Among other provisions, C.S.H.B. 1172 seeks to clarify that grants from the fund may include expenses for medical care, health care, housing, travel, and items or services to improve the veterans' morale and welfare.

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

C.S.H.B. 1172 amends the Government Code to specify that grants to address veterans' needs to which money in the fund for veterans' assistance may be appropriated include expenses for medical care, health care, housing, travel, and items or services to improve the veterans' morale and welfare, among others.

C.S.H.B. 1172 reenacts and amends Sections 434.017(a) and (e), Government Code, as amended by Chapters 840 (S.B. 1940) and 1385 (S.B. 1655), Acts of the 81st Legislature, Regular Session, 2009, to specify that a gift, grant, devise, or bequest to the fund for veterans' assistance is subject to the specified purposes of the fund.  The bill makes nonsubstantive and conforming changes.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2011.

COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL AND SUBSTITUTE

C.S.H.B. 1172 omits provisions included in the original dividing the fund for veterans' assistance into the federal money account and the state money account, establishing the purpose of each account, requiring a certain accounting of the unobligated and unexpended balance in the fund for veterans' assistance for deposit in the two accounts, and making conforming changes.

C.S.H.B. 1172 differs from the original by authorizing grants to address veterans' needs to include expenses for medical care, health care, and items or services to improve the veterans' morale and welfare, among others, whereas the original authorizes the grants to include expenses for entertainment and food, among others.

C.S.H.B. 1172 differs from the original in nonsubstantive ways by using language reflective of certain bill drafting conventions.