HBA-JEK, CBW H.B. 271 77(R) BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 271 By: Berman State, Federal & International Relations 2/19/2001 Introduced BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Each branch of the U.S. military uses various terms to describe the character of service for each person discharged from duty. While "honorable" and "dishonorable" discharges are clearly identified as such, other types of discharges are not as clearly described. Under current law, participation in the Veterans' Land Program, the Veterans' Housing Assistance Program, and the Veterans' Financial Assistance Program is available to veterans who have not been "dishonorably discharged." Because other terms are used to describe the possible dishonorable conditions of a veteran's discharge, it may be unclear as to whether participation in these programs is available to veterans who have been discharged under these conditions. House Bill 271 expands the definition of veteran in the Natural Resources Code to exclude veterans who have received a discharge that was not honorable from receiving benefits under the Veterans' Land Program, the Veterans' Housing Assistance Program, and the Veterans' Financial Assistance Program. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this bill does not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution. ANALYSIS House Bill 271 amends the Natural Resources Code to provide that veterans who have been dishonorably discharged are not eligible to receive benefits under the Veterans' Land Program, the Veterans' Housing Assistance Program, or the Veterans' Financial Assistance Program. The bill provides that a person who has been discharged from a branch of the service or from the Texas National Guard is considered to have been dishonorably discharged unless the person was honorably discharged or discharged under honorable conditions. The bill sets forth that discharges considered to be dishonorable include a bad conduct discharge, a discharge under other than honorable conditions, a dishonorable discharge, and an undesirable discharge. EFFECTIVE DATE On passage.