Records Appraisal Report:
Texas Veterans Commission 2000 Revision

Contents of this report
Agency Contact | Project Review | Record Series Reviews

Internal links to series reviews
Plans & Planning Records - Workload Objectives
Training Rules for Certification of Veterans County Service Officers
Accreditation Rules for Veterans County Service Officers

Related report
1999 Appraisal report

Archival finding aid
Texas Veterans Commission: An Inventory of Records at the Texas State Archives, 1918, [between 1935 and 1937], 1936, 1944, 1947-2003, [19--]


June 21, 2000, Tonia J. Wood, Appraisal Archivist


Agency Contact

This agency contact information was current at the time of the report but may have changed in the interim. Please call (512-463-5455) for current contact information of the agency's records manager or records liaison for these records.

Billy G. Green
Director of Human Resources & Administration
Texas Veterans Commission
920 Colorado, 6th floor
Austin, TX 78701


Project Review

In May 2000 I reviewed the Texas Veterans Commission retention schedule that was submitted for recertification. Series item numbers had changed for three series-Plans and planning records--workload objectives, Training rules for certification of veterans county service officers, and Accreditation rules for veterans county service officers-each now requiring archival review. During May and June, I communicated with Sam Burns, the State & Local Records Management Division records consultant assigned to the commission, and Donna Moseley, secretary reporting to Billy Green, Records Management Officer at the Texas Veterans Commission, to gather information necessary to complete this report.

Project Outcome

The following three series are appraised as not archival. Change archival review code R to archival exception code E. Add note to Remarks column: "Archival review code removed subsequent to appraisal by Archives and Information Services Division, Texas State Library and Archives Commission, June 21, 2000."

  • Plans and planning records-workload objectives: Change series item number to 1.1.064 Agency performance measure documentation
  • Training rules for certification of veterans county service officers
  • Accreditation rules for veterans county service officers

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Record Series Reviews

Record Series Review
Series Title: Plans & Planning Records - Workload Objectives

Agency: Texas Veterans Commission

Obsolete record series? No
Replaced by:

Ongoing record series? Yes
Annual accumulation: approximately 1 inch

Agency holdings:
According to the agency retention schedule, the series is to be retained three years after completion. Holdings at the agency date from fiscal year 1992-[ongoing] and consist of approximately 1 cubic ft. Records are located at agency headquarters.

Description:
The records are agency performance measures and workload objectives of the Texas Veterans Commission set to meet legislative budgetary mandates; files date from fiscal year 1992-[ongoing]. Workload objectives and performance measures concern veterans case loads, such as the number of claims filed by the Commission on behalf of veterans and their dependents. The objectives and measures are compiled by the Director of Finance and Information Resources and are summarized in the legislative appropriation requests and agency strategic plans.

Purpose: The series provides data for measuring performance and for planning for setting objectives for future performance.

Agency Program:
The Texas Veterans Commission was established in 1927 (House Bill 551, 40th Legislature, Regular Session) as the Office of the State Service Officer under the direction of the Adjutant General's Department. The 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 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 Claims Assistance, Counseling, and Outreach Services division of the Texas Veterans Commission assists veterans and their families and dependents in presenting, providing and establishing claims, privileges, rights and benefits that they may have under federal, state, or local law. This function has been part of the agency's duties since the Office of the State Service Officer was created in 1927.

V.T.C.A., Government Code, Chapter 434

Arrangement: Chronological order

Access constraints: None

Use constraints: None

Indexes or finding aids required for/or an aid to access? None

Problems: None

Known related records in other agencies: None

Previous destructions:
Destruction requests on file in the Archives and Information Services Division of the Texas State Library and Archives Commission were checked for the Texas Veterans Commission and none were found for this series or the equivalent or related series.

Publications based on records:
Measures and objectives are summarized in the agency's legislative appropriation requests and strategic plans.

Internet pages based on records: None

Series data from agency schedule:
Title: Plans and Planning Records - Workload Objectives
Series item number: 1.1.024
Agency item number: 11
Archival code: R
Retention: AC+3

Archival holdings:

None in the Archives and Information Services Division of the Texas State Library and Archives Commission.

Texas Documents Collection holdings:

The Texas Documents Collection holds legislative appropriation requests for the Texas Veterans Commission dating 1968-1978 and 1982-1998 for fiscal years 1970-1981 and 1984-2001 and strategic plans dating 1992-1998 covering 1992-2003.

Gaps? The beginning date of this series is unknown. The agency holds records from fiscal year 1992-[ongoing].

Appraisal Decision:
Information in this series is sufficiently summarized in legislative appropriation requests and strategic plans; therefore I recommend this series be appraised as not archival. The agency should replace archival review code R with archival exception code E and place the following note in the Remarks column: "Archival review code removed subsequent to appraisal by Archives and Information Services Division, Texas State Library and Archives Commission, June 21, 2000." Records appear to fit the series Agency Performance Measures Documentation, series item number 1.1.064. After conferring with the records consultant assigned to the TVC, the agency records management officer should change the series item number from 1.1.024 to 1.1.064.

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Record Series Review
Series Title: Training Rules for Certification of Veterans County Service Officers

Agency: Texas Veterans Commission

Obsolete record series? No
Replaced by:

Ongoing record series? Yes
Annual accumulation: few pages

Agency holdings:
According to the agency retention schedule, training rules for certification are to be retained three years after being superseded. Agency holdings date from ca. 1989-1991 and consist of two to four pages. Records are located at agency headquarters.

Description:
Records are state training certification rules for veterans county service officers (VCSOs), ca. 1989-1991, developed by staff and adopted by the Texas Veterans Commission. The Commission is responsible for providing training to VCSOs, who are appointed by county commissioners' courts. These rules are governed by V.T.C.A., Government Code, 434.038 and published in 40 Texas Administrative Code, Chapter 450.

Purpose: This series provides certification process and training rules for veteran county service officers.

Agency Program:
The Texas Veterans Commission was established in 1927 (House Bill 551, 40th Legislature, Regular Session) as the Office of the State Service Officer under the direction of the Adjutant General's Department. The 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 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 Information and Training division of the Texas Veterans Commission provides training and certification of veterans county service officers and assistant veterans county service officers in accordance with Section 434.038 of the Government Code. The Commission was given this greater responsibility for training and certifying veterans county service officers in 1989 (Senate Bill 252, 71st Legislature, Regular Session) when wording of the duty outlined in the statutes changed from "cooperate and assist in training county service officers" to "provide training and certification of veteran county service officers and assistant veterans county service officers in accordance with section 434.038."

V.T.C.A., Government Code, 434.038

Arrangement: Chronological order

Access constraints: None

Use constraints: None

Indexes or finding aids required for/or an aid to access? No

Problems: None

Known related records in other agencies: None

Previous destructions:
Destruction requests on file in the Archives and Information Services Division of the Texas State Library and Archives Commission were checked for the Texas Veterans Commission and none were found for this series or the equivalent or related series.

Publications based on records:
The statutory basis for the rules is published in Vernon's Texas Code Annotated, and the rules are published in the Texas Register and the Texas Administrative Code.

Internet pages based on records:
The Texas Administrative Code is available online at www.sos.state.tx.us/tac/index.shtml. The Texas Government Code is available online at https://www.statutes.legis.state.tx.us/?link=GV.

Series data from agency schedule:
Title: Training Rules for Certification of Veterans County Service Officers
Series item number: 1.1.025
Agency item number: 127
Archival code: R
Retention: US+3

Archival holdings:
None in the Archives and Information Services Division of the Texas State Library and Archives Commission.

Texas Documents Collection holdings:
The Texas Documents Collection contains copies of the Texas Administrative Code and Vernon's Texas Code Annotated.

Gaps? None

Appraisal Decision:
Certification of training rules are published as part of the Texas Administrative Code. Documentation of the function of training veterans county service officers is covered by the archival series Service officer manual. Because the rules are available through a published source and the function is documented in an archival series, I recommend this series be appraised as not archival. The agency should replace archival review code R with archival exception code E and place the following note in the Remarks column: "Archival review code removed subsequent to appraisal by Archives and Information Services Division, Texas State Library and Archives Commission, June 21, 2000."

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Record Series Review
Series Title: Accreditation Rules for Veterans County Service Officers

Agency: Texas Veterans Commission

Obsolete record series? No
Replaced by:

Ongoing record series? Yes
Annual accumulation: few pages

Agency holdings:
According to the agency retention schedule, accreditation rules are to be kept by the commission three years after being superseded. Agency holdings date from 1994 and consist of two to four pages.

Description:
Records are federal and state accreditation rules for veterans county service officers (VCSOs) adopted by the Texas Veterans Commission, last revised in 1994. Rules are published in 40 Texas Administrative Code, Chapter 451 and comply with 38 Code of Federal Regulations 14.629. The VCSOs must be accredited by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs in order to represent claimants before the federal agency. The Commission is responsible for providing VCSOs with information, training, examinations, and recommendations for accreditation.

Purpose: This series provides accreditation process and rules for veterans county service officers.

Agency Program:
The Texas Veterans Commission was established in 1927 (House Bill 551, 40th Legislature, Regular Session) as the Office of the State Service Officer under the direction of the Adjutant General's Department. The 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 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 Information and Training division of the Texas Veterans Commission provides training and certification of veterans county service officers and assistant veterans county service officers in accordance with Section 434.038 of the Government Code. The Commission was given this greater responsibility for training and certifying veterans county service officers in 1989 (Senate Bill 252, 71st Legislature, Regular Session) when wording of the duty outlined in the statutes changed from "cooperate and assist in training county service officers" to "provide training and certification of veteran county service officers and assistant veterans county service officers in accordance with section 434.038."

V.T.C.A., Government Code, 434.038

Arrangement: Chronological order

Access constraints: None

Use constraints: None

Indexes or finding aids required for/or an aid to access? No

Problems: None

Known related records in other agencies: None

Previous destructions:
Destruction requests on file in the Archives and Information Services Division of the Texas State Library and Archives Commission were checked for the Texas Veterans Commission and none were found for this series or the equivalent or related series.

Publications based on records:
Rules are published in the Texas Register, the Texas Administrative Code, and the Code of Federal Regulations.

Internet pages based on records:
The Texas Administrative Code is available online at www.sos.state.tx.us/tac/index.shtml. The Code of Federal Regulations is available online at www.ecfr.gov.

Series data from agency schedule:
Title: Accreditation Rules for Veterans County Service Officers
Series item number: 1.1.025
Agency item number: 128
Archival code: R
Retention: US+3

Archival holdings:
None in the Archives and Information Services Division of the Texas State Library and Archives Commission.

Texas Documents Collection holdings:
The Texas Documents Collection contains copies of the Texas Administrative Code and the Code of Federal Regulations.

Gaps? None

Appraisal Decision:
Accreditation rules are published as part of the Texas Administrative Code and Code of Federal Regulations. Documentation of the function of training veterans county service officers is covered by the archival series Service officer manual. Because the rules are available through published sources and the function is documented in an archival series, I recommend this series be appraised as not archival. The agency should replace archival review code R with archival exception code E and place the following note in the Remarks column: "Archival review code removed subsequent to appraisal by Archives and Information Services Division, Texas State Library and Archives Commission, June 21, 2000."

Page last modified: August 8, 2015