HBA-CMT H.B. 310 77(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 310
By: Flores
State, Federal & International Relations
7/18/2001
Enrolled



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

In 2001, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs was financing 100 percent
of the development costs of veterans cemeteries that were state owned and
operated.  However, it takes state dollars to provide funding for the
acquisition of land and for the care of the cemeteries once they are
established.  House Bill 310 authorizes the Veterans Land Board to
establish a program for providing financial assistance for the
establishment of veterans cemeteries. 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that rulemaking
authority is expressly delegated to the Veterans Land Board in SECTION 4
(Section 164.004, Natural Resources Code) of this bill. 

ANALYSIS

House Bill  310 amends the Natural Resources Code to provide that the
Veterans Land Board (board) may establish a program to provide financial
assistance for the establishment of veterans cemeteries. 

The bill requires the board to adopt rules providing for the administration
of its financial assistance programs for the veterans cemeteries. 

The bill requires the board, the chairman of the Texas Veterans Commission,
and two representatives of the veterans community selected by the chairman
of the Texas Veterans Commission to establish the guidelines for
determining the location, the size of veterans cemeteries and the
eligibility for burial in a veterans cemetery, and select up to seven
locations across the state for veterans cemeteries.  The bill prohibits the
board from spending more than $7 million each fiscal year of the funds
available to the board in veterans' land fund, the veterans' housing
assistance fund, and the veterans' housing assistance fund II to plan and
design, operate, maintain, enlarge, or improve veterans cemeteries.  The
board is prohibited from using funds from the veterans' land fund, the
veterans' housing assistance fund, or the veterans' housing assistance fund
II to acquire land to be used for a veterans cemetery.    

EFFECTIVE DATE

Effective on adoption of Constitutional amendment.