Local veterans urge revision to Hazelwood Act language to include siblings

Speakers at the Laredo Veterans Committee meeting discussed efforts to broaden eligibility under the Hazelwood Act so that siblings of service members who died in service could receive unused tuition benefits.

Ricardo Guijano said his office was told that proponents will reintroduce the measure (discussed as Senate bill 1338) with the goal of changing Hazelwood’s language to permit transfer of the benefit to a brother or sister when a service member dies unmarried and without children. He said the bill will need to be heard by the state education committee before it can advance to the full legislature.

Committee members described previous attempts to move similar language and said earlier efforts stalled in committee. One participant said proponents are refining the bill after learning from prior rounds, and that stronger advocacy is needed to secure a hearing and committee approval.

Members asked how the process works and reiterated that passage will take time because of committee procedures and legislative scheduling. The committee did not pass a formal resolution at this meeting; members agreed to continue advocacy and consider further actions to support reintroduction.