SB 2483

Present law authorizes the county legislative bodies of the several counties and the governing bodies of each municipal corporation, jointly or severally, to establish service offices for the purpose of advising veterans of the United States armed forces, and their dependents, of all rights, privileges, immunities and ben efits to which they may be entitled under any law, state or federal, and which may be made available to them by private institutions, organizations or individuals and of assisting them in every way possible in obtaining such rights, immunities and benefit s. These service offices are required to be staffed by accredited veterans' service officers . This bill requires the county legislative bodies and municipal governing bodies creating local veterans service offices to choose the persons hired to provide veterans services, subject to guidance provided by the department of veterans services. Employ ees of a local veterans service office who served in the armed forces are known as "county veterans service officers (CVSOs), and those who did not serve are known as ""county veterans service representatives (CVSRs)."" ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANTS This bill authorizes the following counties to hire administrative assistants for clerical duties who are not required to hold an accreditation from the United States department of veterans affairs: Anderson, Blount, Bradley, Davidson, Hamilton, Knox, Madison, Maury, Montgomery, Putnam, Rutherford, Sevier, Shelby, Sullivan, Sumner, Washington, Williamson, and Wilson . BACKGROUND CHECKS This bill requires a ll CVSOs, CVSRs, and administrative assistants to have a background check. HIRING PREFERENCE This bill provides that v eterans, especially combat veterans, should be given hiring preference for positions requiring accreditation by the United States department of veterans affairs and consideration must be given to those with administrative, human resources, and computer ed ucation and experience backgrounds. Combat service must be verified via separation or other official military documents CVSOS AND CVSRS Once a CVSO or CVSR receives accreditation from the United States department of veterans affairs, this bill provides that the CVSO or CVSR will hold office if CVSO or CVSR remains fully qualified, unless terminated for misconduct. The appointing authority for each local veterans service office must ensure that each office is staffed by at least one CVSO and that staffing o f the office is in accordance with the ratio of CVSOs to CVSRs, as established by the department of veterans services. This bill requires the commissioner of veterans services to publish guidance on an annual basis on a recommended number of part-time and full-time CVSOs and CVSRs per political subdivision. The commissioner must establish a required minimum salary rate f or CVSOs and CVSRs as well as a recommended number of paid hours, including hours designated for required training and continuing education. The recommended salary rates may include a lower probationary rate to be paid until completion of all required st at e and federal training for accreditation. Upon application by a local governing body, this bill requires the department of veterans services to provide a salary grant for the purpose of hiring new CVSOs and CVSRs to meet the minimum state staffing requirements at the state-mandated salary rate. The department may also provide additional grants to cover the costs to train and maintain qualified CVSOs and CVSRs, including costs for state-mandated annual and recurring certifications and costs to pay the state-mandated minimum salary. The commissioner of veterans services may create annual bonuses for CVSOs and CVSRs who meet performance metrics p re scribed by the commissioner. DEPARTMENTAL HEADS OF A LOCAL VETERANS SERVICE OFFICE This bill appoints the senior CVSO to be the departmental head of a local veterans service office for the department of the governing body that created the office. In the case of a local veterans service office that is created by two or more political s ubdivisions, the office is a department under the political subdivision providing a majority of the office funding. If the funding is equally divided and the political subdivisions are unable to agree on the organizational placement of the office, then t he commissioner of veterans services must decide under which political subdivision the office is placed. Local governing bodies that create a local veterans service office are encouraged to maintain enough CVSOs, CVSRs, and administrative assistants to support the size of their respective veteran populations, as well as provide adequate office space and adm inistrative support. When three or more CVSOs or CVSRs are employed by a local governing body, a CVSO must be designated as the director of veterans services and be paid an amount corresponding with other departmental heads of similarly sized departments o f the local governing body or the state recommended wage, whichever is greater. For offices with one CVSO, the CVSO is designated the director. TRAINING AND ACCREDITATION Present law requires all veterans' service officers to be honorably discharged veterans of the United States armed forces. Veterans' service officers must have the authority to administer oaths and to take acknowledgments related to any matter falling within the scope of authority of their office, including the presentation of claims and other functions incident to obtaining benefits for discharged veterans. All veterans' service officers must successfully complete training and be issued accreditation by the department of veterans services within one year from the date of appointment. Any veterans' service officer who does not complete the required training and receive accreditation within one year of appointment must be removed from office by the governing body or bodies of the political subdivisions creating the veterans' service of fice by which the officer is employed. This bill, in addition to the training and accreditation required by present law, requires all CVSOs and CVSRs to attain accreditation by the United States department of veterans affairs within six months from the date of appointment. Any CVSO or CVSR w ho does not receive United States department of veterans affairs accreditation within six months of appointment must be removed from office by the governing body of the political subdivision creating the veterans service office at which the CVSO or CVSR i s employed. CVSOs and CVSRs must complete all annual and recurring training required by the United States department of veterans affairs and department of veterans services to maintain all required accreditations and meet claims filing performance standard s established by the department. Failure to do so can result in removal from office within 30 days after notification by the commissioner to the local governing body of the political subdivision in which the employing veterans service office is located. This bill authorizes the department of veterans services to enter into agreements with nationally chartered veterans services organizations to provide for cross accreditation and to provide initial and recurrent service officer accreditation training. T he department may grant accredited representatives of those organizations access to department data systems for the purpose of using common claims filing software. The department may also provide funds to nationally chartered veterans service organizatio ns for the purpose of promoting the availability of veterans services. FUNDING AND BUDGETS This bill requires a ll state funding provided to local veterans service offices to be used exclusively for salaries, benefits, supplies, and training expenses and to not be used for any other purpose by the local governing body. Local veterans service office budgets must be published as a separate item within the political subdivision's annual budget."