Sec. 4. Meetings. Resolved: That the Chair of the Legislative Council shall call and convene the first meeting of the commission within 30 days of the date that the last member is appointed; and be it further

Sec. 5. Chair. Resolved: That the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House shall each appoint a committee cochair from among committee members within 30 days of the effective date of this resolve; and be it further

Sec. 6. Compensation. Resolved: That legislative members are entitled to receive per diem compensation, as defined in the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 3, section 2. All members are entitled to reimbursement for expenses incurred in carrying out their duties. Application for compensation and reimbursement must be made to the Executive Director of the Legislative Council; and be it further

Sec. 7. Staff. Resolved: That the Executive Director of the Legislative Council shall provide staff support to the commission when the Legislature is not in session. State agencies represented on the commission shall also provide assistance when requested; and be it further

Sec. 8. Duties. Resolved: That the commission shall study the laws of this State that relate to the award of state veterans' benefits and consider alternatives that will codify and standardize the present laws related to eligibility for benefits based on periods of military service. In examining these issues, the commission shall consider all laws of the State that relate to veterans' benefits, including, but not limited to, those administered by the Department of Defense, Veterans and Emergency Management, the Department of Labor, the Department of Human Services and the Maine State Retirement System. As part of its study, the commission shall:

1. Review and assess all existing laws of the State that contain eligibility criteria for veterans' benefits based on periods of military service;

2. Analyze existing laws of the State related to the award of veterans' benefits to identify discrepancies and inconsistencies in eligibility criteria based on periods of military service;