Pennsylvania Act 2015-50 — PERSIAN GULF CONFLICT VETERANS' BENEFIT ACT - APPLICATION FOR COMPENSATION, COMMONWEALTH INDEBTNESS AND REPORTS

Act text

Session of 2015

No. 2015-50

HB 175

AN ACT

Amending the act of April 24, 2006 (P.L.91, No.29), entitled "An act providing compensation to persons in active service in connection with the Persian Gulf Conflict or their beneficiaries; authorizing the incurring of indebtedness and the issue and sale of bonds by the Commonwealth for the payment of compensation contingent upon electorate approval; creating a special fund in the State Treasury to be known as the Persian Gulf Conflict Veterans' Compensation Bond Fund; imposing powers and duties on the Department of General Services; making appropriations; and making a related repeal," further providing for application for compensation and for Commonwealth indebtedness; and providing for reports.

The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania hereby enacts as follows:

Section 1. Sections 4 and 12(e) of the act of April 26, 2006 (P.L.91, No.29), known as the Persian Gulf Conflict Veterans' Benefit Act, is amended to read:

Section 4. Application for compensation.

(a) Application to Adjutant General.--Applications shall be made by a veteran, the facility entitled under section 5(a) or the beneficiaries designated under section 5(b). The Adjutant General shall ascertain the applicants who are veterans and, as to each veteran, the number of months of service for which the veteran is entitled to receive compensation.

(b) Time for filing application.--The Adjutant General shall not accept or consider any application filed after August 31, [2015] 2018 .

Section 12. Commonwealth indebtedness.

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(e) Expiration.--Authorization to issue bonds and notes, not including refunding bonds and replacement notes, for the purpose of this act shall expire [ten years from the effective date of this section] December 31, 2019 .

Section 2. The act is amended by adding a section to read:

Section 14.1. Reports.

(a) Initial.--By February 1, 2016, the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs shall submit a report to the chairman and minority chairman of the Appropriations Committee of the Senate and the chairman and minority chairman of the Appropriations Committee of the House of Representatives. The report shall contain the following information for the program under this act for the period after December 18, 2006, and before January 1, 2016:

(1) Name, branch of service, payment date and payment amount for each Persian Gulf veteran who received compensation under this act.

(2) An itemization, by year, of administrative and operating costs incurred in the administration of the program, including costs related to vendor or consultant contracts.

(3) A list of each vendor or consultant utilized to assist in the administration of the program and a detailed description of the services provided.

(b) Annual.--By February 1 of each year after 2016, the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs shall submit a report to the chairman and minority chairman of the Appropriations Committee of the Senate and the chairman and minority chairman of the Appropriations Committee of the House of Representatives. The report shall contain the following information for the program for the prior year:

(1) Name, branch of service, payment date and payment amount for each veteran who received compensation under this act.

(2) An itemization of administrative and operating costs incurred in the administration of the program, including costs related to vendor or consultant contracts.

(3) A list of each vendor or consultant utilized to assist in the administration of the program and a detailed description of the services provided.

Section 3. The amendment of section 4(b) of the act shall apply retroactively to August 31, 2015.

Section 4. This act shall take effect immediately.

APPROVED--The 30th day of October, A.D. 2015.

TOM WOLF