PRINTER'S NO. 321
No. 314 Session of 1999
INTRODUCED BY HERSHEY, SEMMEL, EGOLF, MICHLOVIC, ARGALL,
ARMSTRONG, BAKER, BARD, BEBKO-JONES, BELFANTI, BENNINGHOFF,
CLARK, L. I. COHEN, M. COHEN, COLAFELLA, CORRIGAN, COY,
DeLUCA, FORCIER, GEIST, GEORGE, HARHAI, HENNESSEY, HERMAN,
JAMES, LAUGHLIN, LEDERER, LUCYK, MAJOR, McCALL, MELIO,
S. MILLER, NAILOR, ORIE, PESCI, PIPPY, PISTELLA, READSHAW,
RUBLEY, SATHER, SAYLOR, SCHULER, SEYFERT, STABACK, STAIRS,
STERN, SURRA, E. Z. TAYLOR, TRELLO, TRUE, WILT, YOUNGBLOOD
AND GRUCELA, FEBRUARY 3, 1999
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON VETERANS AFFAIRS AND EMERGENCY
PREPAREDNESS, FEBRUARY 3, 1999
AN ACT
1 Amending Title 51 (Military Affairs) of the Pennsylvania
2 Consolidated Statutes, further providing for the State
3 Veterans' Commission.
4 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
5 hereby enacts as follows:
6 Section 1. Section 1702 of Title 51 of the Pennsylvania
7 Consolidated Statutes is amended to read:
8 § 1702. State Veterans' Commission.
9 (a) Establishment.--There is hereby established within the
10 department an advisory commission to be known as the State
11 Veterans' Commission.
12 (b) Composition.--The commission shall be composed of:
13 (1) The Adjutant General, ex officio, or his designee.
14 (2) The State commander, commandant or head, or his
1 designee, of each of the following named veterans'
2 organizations:
3 (i) The American Legion.
4 (ii) AMVETS.
5 (iii) Blinded Veterans Association.
6 (iv) Catholic War Veterans of the United States of
7 America.
8 (v) Disabled American Veterans.
9 (vi) Jewish War Veterans of the United States.
10 (vii) Marine Corps League.
11 (viii) Military Order of the Purple Heart.
12 (ix) State Association of County Directors of
13 Veterans' Affairs.
14 (x) Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States.
15 (xi) Veterans of World War I of the United States of
16 America, Inc.
17 (xii) Italian-American War Veterans of the United
18 States, Inc.
19 (xiii) The Vietnam Veterans of America, Inc.
20 (xiv) American Ex-Prisoners of War.
21 (xv) Keystone Paralyzed Veterans Association.
22 (3) Four members at large appointed by the Governor from
23 a list provided by the Adjutant General, each of whom shall
24 be a veteran and a member in good and regular standing of a
25 Pennsylvania branch, post, lodge or club of a recognized
26 national veterans' organization active in this Commonwealth.
27 At least one member shall be a female veteran, and at least
28 one member shall be a veteran of the Vietnam era. Members at
29 large shall serve a term of four years and until a successor
30 has been appointed.
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1 (4) The State Adjutants of the American Legion, the
2 Disabled American Veterans (DAV) and the Veterans of Foreign
3 Wars (VFW) as nonvoting members.
4 (c) Officers.--The commission shall annually elect a
5 chairman and vice chairman at the first meeting of the
6 commission after October 1. The Deputy Adjutant General for
7 Veterans' Affairs shall serve as the executive secretary to the
8 commission.
9 (d) Compensation and expenses.--Members of the commission
10 shall receive no compensation for their services but shall
11 receive reimbursement for their necessary and proper expenses
12 for attendance at meetings.
13 (e) Meetings and quorum.--The commission shall meet upon the
14 call of the chairman or the Adjutant General. Nine members of
15 the commission shall constitute a quorum.
16 (f) Declared vacancies.--The Governor, upon recommendation
17 of the Adjutant General, shall declare a vacancy to exist
18 whenever any member at large fails to attend three consecutive
19 meetings without good cause. Any declared vacancy shall be
20 filled for the unexpired term.
21 Section 2. This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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