HBA-JEK, CBW C.S.H.B. 271 77(R) BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisC.S.H.B. 271 By: Berman State, Federal & International Relations 3/5/2001 Committee Report (Substituted) BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Each branch of the United States 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 and the Veterans' Housing Assistance Program (programs) is available to veterans who have not been "dishonorably discharged." Because other terms are used to describe the possible honorable and dishonorable conditions of a veteran's discharge, it may be unclear as to whether participation in these programs is available to certain discharged veterans. C.S.H.B. 271 provides descriptions of discharges which make a person eligible to receive benefits in the programs. 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 C.S.H.B. 271 amends the Natural Resources Code to provide that veterans who are not considered to have been dishonorably discharged are eligible to receive benefits under the Veterans' Land Program or the Veterans' Housing 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 not considered to have been dishonorably discharged if the person received an honorable discharge, received a discharge under honorable conditions, or received a discharge and provides evidence from the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, its successor, or other competent authority that the character of the person's duty was determined to be other than dishonorable. EFFECTIVE DATE On passage, or if the Act does not receive the necessary vote, the Act takes effect September 1, 2001. COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL TO SUBSTITUTE C.S.H.B. 271 differs from the original by describing discharges that are considered honorable, whereas the original described discharges that are considered dishonorable. Additionally, the substitute does not apply, as the original did, to eligibility for benefits under the Veterans' Financial Assistance Program.