1.1                          A bill for an act
  1.2             relating to veterans; authorizing payment of a Vietnam 
  1.3             War veteran's bonus to qualified veterans who applied 
  1.4             for the bonus before the program deadline but were not 
  1.5             paid; appropriating money; proposing coding for new 
  1.6             law in Minnesota Statutes, chapter 197. 
  1.7   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.8      Section 1.  [197.795] [VIETNAM WAR VETERANS' BONUS, 
  1.9   ADDITIONAL PAYMENTS.] 
  1.10     The commissioner of veterans affairs shall pay a bonus to 
  1.11  any veteran who: 
  1.12     (1) applied for a bonus under Laws 1973, chapter 204, 
  1.13  section 1, the Vietnam War veterans' bonus program, on or before 
  1.14  December 31, 1995; 
  1.15     (2) was qualified for the bonus under that program; and 
  1.16     (3) was never paid the bonus. 
  1.17  To qualify for payment under this section, the veteran must 
  1.18  reapply for the bonus according to procedures, and before a 
  1.19  date, to be established by the commissioner.  The veteran also 
  1.20  must provide proof of having applied for that bonus prior to 
  1.21  December 31, 1995.  The commissioner shall determine whether the 
  1.22  veteran was eligible for the bonus under that program.  Records 
  1.23  from the department of veterans affairs suffice to determine 
  1.24  whether or not the applicant has been paid the bonus.  The 
  1.25  amount of payment to any veteran under this section is the same 
  1.26  as the amount for which the veteran was eligible under that 
  2.1   program.  The commissioner's decision on any application is 
  2.2   final. 
  2.3      Sec. 2.  [APPROPRIATION.] 
  2.4      $....... is appropriated from the general fund to the 
  2.5   commissioner of veterans affairs for making bonus payments under 
  2.6   section 1.  This appropriation is available until June 30, 1999, 
  2.7   and may not be transferred to any other account or used for any 
  2.8   purpose other than that specified in section 1. 
  2.9      Sec. 3.  [EFFECTIVE DATE.] 
  2.10     Sections 1 and 2 are effective July 1, 1998.