Texas Veterans Commission:

An Inventory of Veterans Commission Records at the Texas State Archives, 1918, between 1935 and 1937, 1936, 1944, 1947-2006

Agency History

The mission of the Texas Veterans Commission is to guarantee that Texas veterans and their families receive all rights and entitlements provided by law and that their needs are considered in pending legislation. This is done by providing information to the veteran population, by training veterans county service officers, and by providing claims counseling, development and representation, and outreach services to veterans and their families.

The commission is responsible for (1) compiling federal, state, and local laws enacted to benefit members of the armed forces, veterans, and their families and dependents; (2) collecting information relating to services and facilities available to veterans; (3) cooperating with veterans service agencies in the state; (4) informing members and veterans of the armed forces, their families and dependents, and military and civilian authorities about the existence or availability of educational training and retraining facilities; health, medical, rehabilitation, and housing services and facilities; employment and reemployment services; provisions of federal, state, and local law affording rights, privileges, and benefits to members and veterans of the armed forces and their families and dependents; and other similar, related, or appropriate matters; (5) assisting veterans and their families and dependents in presenting, proving, and establishing claims, privileges, rights, and benefits they may have under federal, state, or local law; (6) cooperating with all government and private agencies securing services or benefits to veterans and their families and dependents; (7) investigating, and if possible correcting, abuses or exploitation of veterans or their families or dependents, and recommending necessary legislation for full correction; (8) coordinating the services and activities of state departments and divisions having services and resources affecting veterans or their families or dependents; and (9) providing training and certification of veterans county service officers and assistant veterans county service officers in accordance with Texas Government Code, Section 434.038.

The Office of the State Service Officer was established in 1927 (House Bill 551, 40th Legislature, Regular Session) under the direction of the Adjutant General's Department. The State Service Office was created to assist Texas residents who had served in military or naval forces in World War I as well as their families in order to help them receive federal benefits, and to aid the United States government in defeating unjust claims for benefits. In 1937 the office was renamed the Veterans' State Service Office (VSSO), gaining several assistant veterans state service officers and extending the aid to Texas residents who served in any United States armed force or nurses corps in any war or peacetime enlistment (House Bill 321, 45th Legislature, Regular Session). The Veterans Affairs Commission was created in 1947 as a separate state agency, taking over the duties of the VSSO in order to care for the large increase in Texas' veteran population resulting from World War II and other wars in which Texas residents participated (House Bill 18, 50th Legislature, Regular Session). In 1985 the agency was renamed the Texas Veterans Commission.

The Texas Veterans Commission was given greater responsibility for training and certifying veterans county service officers in 1989 (Senate Bill 252, 71st Legislature, Regular Session). Temporary duties of studying the feasibility and need for state residential facilities for disabled veterans were added in 1995 (House Bill 340, 74th Legislature, Regular Session) and for state veterans cemeteries in 1979 (House Concurrent Resolution 91, 66th Legislature, Regular Session) and 1997 (Senate Bill 1202, 75th Legislature, Regular Session). In 2005 House Bill 2604 (79th Texas Legislature Regular Session) transferred the Veterans Employment Service from the Texas Workforce Commission to the TVC. This transfer added the Disabled Veterans Outreach Program (DVOP) and the Local Veterans Employment Representative (LVER) program to the TVC’s responsibilities for veterans’ assistance.

The commission was originally composed of five members. A sixth member was added in 1981 after sunset review of the agency (Senate Bill 298, 67th Legislature, Regular Session) and taken away in 2003 to comply with the changes made to Section 30a, Article XVI, Texas Constitution (House Bill 2769, 78th Legislature, Regular Session). The five members are appointed by the governor with the advice and consent of the senate for staggered six-year terms. Each must be a citizen and resident of Texas; at least three must be honorably discharged or released from active United States military service; and at least one must be classified as a disabled veteran. (Originally, all five members had to have military service and three of the five members had to have separated from the military as enlisted men.) A person with a less than honorable discharge from military service is not eligible for appointment to the commission. Individuals registered as lobbyists for veteran affairs cannot serve on the commission or as general counsel to the commission. The commission appoints an executive director to administer its policies.

In August 2004 the Veterans Commission had approximately 87 full-time equivalent employees in three programs (Claims Assistance, Central Administration, and Marketing) at agency headquarters in Austin, regional offices in Waco and Houston, and 28 field and hospital offices.

(Sources include: appraisal report completed by State Archives staff, January 1999, with June 2000 addendum; Texas Government Code, Chapter 434 online (accessed July 2006); the TVC website at http://www.tvc.state.tx.us (accessed July 2006); the TVC's 2005 self-evaluation report on the Sunset Commission website (accessed July 2006); and the Guide to Texas State Agencies, 11th ed. (2001).)

Return to the Table of Contents

Scope and Contents of the Records

The Texas Veterans Commission is responsible for helping Texas veterans receive benefits to which they are entitled. Records are meeting minutes, meeting agenda, speeches, program files, a procedure guide, administrative correspondence, press releases, reports, and printed material, dating 1918, between 1935 and 1937, 1936, 1944, 1947-2006, of the Veterans Commission and its predecessors, the Texas Veterans Affairs Commission, Veterans' State Service Office, and the State Service Office. The records provide information on how the commission fulfills its mission of assisting Texas veterans. Commission meeting minutes document the commission's actions and decisions at its open meetings from its organizational meeting in August 1947 to the present. Commission meeting agenda announce open meetings of the commission and the subjects to be covered during these meetings. Speeches dating back to the existence of the State Service Office publicize the agency's mission through contact with veterans' organizations. Administrative correspondence is created in the process of cooperating with other agencies and organizations in providing programs and services to veterans and their families. The Veterans Housing Assistance Program files provide guidance on the certification of veterans for participation in the Veterans Housing Assistance and Veterans Home Improvement programs and document the coordination of services between the Veterans Commission and Veterans Land Board. The procedure guide explains rules, policies, and procedures for reference by employees, including those working at government hospitals and institutions. Press releases, reports, and printed material publicize information about benefits available to veterans and their families. Subjects covered by the records include cooperation with veterans organizations, coordination with the federal Veterans Administration, federal and state legislation affecting veterans, office locations, personnel issues, the Orphan and Dependent Children's Program and State Hospitals Program, assisting veterans in prison, training of veterans county service officers, Agent Orange programs, the veterans housing programs of the Veterans Land Board, the need for state veterans homes and national and state-owned veterans cemeteries in Texas, programs serving homeless veterans, and the Hazlewood Act providing veterans with financial assistance for higher education.

Return to the Table of Contents

Return to the Table of Contents

Restrictions

Restrictions on Access

None.

Restrictions on Use

Most records created by Texas state agencies are not copyrighted and may be freely used in any way. State records also include materials received by, not created by, state agencies. Copyright remains with the creator. The researcher is responsible for complying with U.S. Copyright Law (Title 17 U.S.C.).

Technical Requirements

None.

Return to the Table of Contents

Return to the Table of Contents

Related Material

Return to the Table of Contents

Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

(Identify the item and cite the series), Texas Veterans Commission records. Archives and Information Services Division, Texas State Library and Archives Commission.

Accession Information

Accession numbers: 1999/052, 1999/053, 1999/167, 2000/062, 2000/167, 2001/074, 2002/026, 2003/022, 2003/025, 2003/196, 2004/043, 2005/039, 2006/069, 2006/380

These records were transferred to the Archives and Information Services Division of the Texas State Library and Archives Commission by the Texas Veterans Commission on November 10 and 16, 1998; June 14-15, 1999; November 2, 1999; July 11 and 31, 2000; October 23, 2000; September 20, 2001; October 8, 2002; August 12, 2003; October 22, 2003; October 21, 2004; November 10, 2005; and by the Texas Legislative Reference Library on October 9, 2002 and June 28, 2006.

Processing Information

Tonia J. Wood, March 1999, June 1999, August 2000, December 2000, September 2001, October 2002, October 2003, July 2006

Accruals

Minutes are received from the agency after approval at the subsequent commission meeting.

Return to the Table of Contents

Detailed Description of the Records

Return to the Table of Contents

Return to the Table of Contents

Return to the Table of Contents

Return to the Table of Contents

Return to the Table of Contents

Return to the Table of Contents

Return to the Table of Contents