House Bill 1195

AN ACT TO REQUIRE THE JOINT LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE ON PERFORMANCE EVALUATION AND EXPENDITURE REVIEW TO CONDUCT A REVIEW OF THE STATE VETERANS AFFAIRS BOARD RELATING TO THE BOARD'S OVERALL OPERATIONS AND PERFORMANCE IN ACCOMPLISHING ITS MISSION; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI:

SECTION 1. (1) The Joint Legislative Committee on Performance Evaluation and Expenditure Review (PEER Committee) shall conduct a review and prepare a report on the State Veterans Affairs Board (Board) relating to the board's performance in accomplishing its mission. The review shall address the overall operations of the board and, at a minimum, consider the following:

(a) The board's use of resources toward accomplishing its mission;

(b) Assistance provided to veterans with filing claims for benefits and services under applicable federal and state laws and programs;

(c) The board's handling and processing of claims and appeals of claims and how such actions compare to similar boards in states in the southeastern United States;

(d) The board's effectiveness in making veterans aware of available benefits and services available to veterans on the federal and state levels.

(2) The PEER Committee shall submit its report to the Legislature not later than December 1, 2016.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after its passage.