County Veterans Service Offices Administration

Legislative Audit Committee. Under current law, the division of veterans affairs (division) in the department of military and veterans affairs has a duty to supervise county veterans service offices (county offices). The bill changes the division's duty to instead monitor county offices.

The bill changes procedures for the division's payment to counties for the performance of certain veterans services.

Under current law, the board of county commissioners (board) appoints all veterans service officers and staff for the county office. The bill requires the board to appoint a county veterans service officer, and the board may authorize the appointed county veterans service officer to hire additional county veterans service officers and staff as the board finds necessary.

Under current law, a county veterans service officer is required to have certain military qualifications. The bill requires only the appointed county veterans service officer to have these military qualifications.

The bill adds state certification and United States accreditation requirements in order to be a county veterans service officer and for a county veterans service officer to be eligible to serve as a claimant's representative and to assist a veteran claimant with the preparation, presentation, or prosecution of a claim for a United States department of veterans affairs benefit. Current law requires a board of county commissioners to appoint a county veterans service officer or officers. The bill qualifies that the appointment of a county veteran service officer is on an as-necessary basis.

(Note: Italicized words indicate new material added to the original summary; dashes through words indicate deletions from the original summary.)

(Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)