HOUSE BILL REPORT

                  SB 5083

             As Reported By House Committee On:

                    Government Operations

Title:  An act relating to the veterans affairs advisory committee.

Brief Description:  Changing the composition of the veterans affairs advisory committee.

Sponsors:  Senators Oke, Bauer, Franklin, Haugen and C. Anderson; by request of Department of Veterans Affairs.

Brief History:

  Committee Activity:

Government Operations:  3/8/95, 3/17/95 [DP].

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS

Majority Report:  Do pass.  Signed by 15 members:  Representatives Reams, Chairman; Goldsmith, Vice Chairman; L. Thomas, Vice Chairman; Rust, Ranking Minority Member; Scott, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Chopp; R. Fisher; Hargrove; Honeyford; Hymes; Mulliken; D. Schmidt; Sommers; Van Luven and Wolfe.

Staff:  Bonnie Austin (786-7135).

Background:  The Veterans' Affairs Advisory Committee advises the Governor and the director of the Department of Veterans' Affairs on matters pertaining to the department.  The committee is composed of 17 members appointed by the Governor. Three members are chosen from the three congressionally-chartered veterans organizations with the largest number of active members in the state.  Ten members are chosen from congressionally-chartered veterans organizations having at least one active chapter in the state.  No organization may have more than one representative on the committee at any one time.

According to the department, Congress stopped issuing charters to veterans organizations approximately four years ago. Some veterans groups that were in the process of forming at that time, or that have formed since that time, cannot obtain a charter.  The federal Department of Veterans Affairs publishes a "Directory of Veterans Service Organizations" that includes newly formed veterans service organizations.  

Summary of Bill:  For the purposes of the Veterans' Affairs Advisory Committee, the definitions of veterans organizations are expanded to include nationally recognized veterans service organizations listed in the current "Directory of Veterans Service Organizations" published by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs.

Appropriation:  None.

Fiscal Note:  Not requested.

Effective Date:  Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.

Testimony For:  This bill updates the criteria for eligibility to serve on the Veterans' Affairs Advisory Committee.  It does not expand the number of members, and has no fiscal impact.

Testimony Against:  None.

Testified:  Beau Bergeron, Director, Department of Veterans' Affairs.