HR1 HFA Pushkin and Longstreth 1-15

            Delegates Pushkin and Longstreth move to amend the resolution on page seven, line sixteen, following the period, by inserting the following new section, to read as follows:

“Veterans Impact Statement

            95a. Upon the introduction of any legislation which has a potential impact on the veterans and their families, the Speaker may request from any institution under the authority of the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission, including but not limited to any state college or university, West Virginia University, or Marshall University, a review of the proposed legislation for purposes of preparing an Veterans Impact Statement. The Impact Statement may address the probable effect of any proposed legislation on our state veterans and their families including, but not limited to, the effect of the legislation on services provided by the state to veterans and their families, rehabilitative and educational services the state provides to veterans, and whether any proposed legislation will harm or enhance the availability of these services provided to our state veterans. The statement shall include the names of those persons who participated in the drafting of the statement, including the time spent preparing the statement. The institution shall also make available a lead author of the statement or other qualified representative of the institution to discuss the statement with any committee of the House in which the legislation was referred. The Speaker shall request from any institution that produced a statement, a follow-up study two and five years following enactment of the legislation to analyze the accuracy of any conclusions and findings made in the Impact Statement. It shall be the responsibility of the Speaker to obtain any requested Impact Statement, which shall be based on generally accepted methodology. The Rules Committee may, but is not required to, make by resolution recommendations as to the form and additional contents of the Impact Statement.

            The phrase “Veterans Impact Statement” or the initials “VIS” must be clearly stamped or endorsed on the jackets of all bills that have statements attached to them. The failure to comply with any provision of this Rule shall not prohibit the consideration or passage of any proposed legislation.”