1| HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES - FLOOR VERSION | | | 2| STATE OF OKLAHOMA | | | 3| 1st Session of the 59th Legislature (2023) | | | 4|ENGROSSED SENATE | |BILL NO. 547 By: Pugh of the Senate | 5| | | and | 6| | | West (Josh) of the House | 7| | | | 8| | | | 9| An Act relating to veterans; requiring Oklahoma | | Department of Veterans Affairs to represent certain | 10| interests; authorizing Department to request | | engagement of Attorney General upon certain | 11| determination; requiring review of certain | | complaints; authorizing intervention of Attorney | 12| General upon request by Department; providing for | | codification; and declaring an emergency. | 13| | | | 14| | | | 15|BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA: | | | 16| SECTION 1. NEW LAW A new section of law to be codified | | | 17|in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 63.23 of Title 72, unless there | | | 18|is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows: | | | 19| A. The Oklahoma Department of Veterans Affairs shall represent | | | 20|and protect the collective interests of military veterans in this | | | 21|state. The Department may request the engagement of the Attorney | | | 22|General on behalf of an individual veteran or a collective group of | | | 23|veterans upon: | | | 24| | | | arsid343 SB547 HFLR Page 1 ___________________________________________________________________________
1| 1. Receiving a complaint of improperly withheld or revoked | | | 2|benefits or breaches of trust in the administration of funds by the | | | 3|United States Department of Veterans Affairs; | | | 4| 2. Conducting a thorough review of the complaint; and | | | 5| 3. Determining that the Department has exhausted its ability to | | | 6|intervene on behalf of the veteran or veterans. | | | 7| B. Upon request from the Department pursuant to subsection A of | | | 8|this section, the Attorney General may, at his or her discretion, | | | 9|intervene on behalf of the veteran or veterans. | | | 10| SECTION 2. It being immediately necessary for the preservation | | | 11|of the public peace, health or safety, an emergency is hereby | | | 12|declared to exist, by reason whereof this act shall take effect and | | | 13|be in full force from and after its passage and approval. | | | 14| | | | 15|COMMITTEE REPORT BY: COMMITTEE ON VETERANS AND MILITARY AFFAIRS, | |dated 04/04/2023 - DO PASS. | 16| | | | 17| | | | 18| | | | 19| | | | 20| | | | 21| | | | 22| | | | 23| | | | 24| | | | arsid343 SB547 HFLR Page 2