Relating to matters under the purview of the department of veterans affairs, including county commissions of veteran affairs and cemetery expenditures

This bill relates to matters under the purview of the department of veterans affairs, including county commissions of veteran affairs (CCVA) and cemetery expenditures.1, as amended. The bill replaces the department of veterans affairs’ (VA) duty to conduct a service school each year for county commissioners, executive directors, and administrators with the duty to administer or conduct one service school each year for county commissioners, executive directors, and administrators. The bill removes continuing education requirements associated with the annual service school provided for county commissioners, executive directors, and administrators. The bill allows the department to receive and accept donations, grants, gifts, and contributions from any public or private source to be used for providing payment for training opportunities to CCVA commissioners, executive directors, and administrators; organizing training relating to state programs for CCVA executive directors, administrators, and commissioners; hiring an agency, organization, or other entity to provide training or educational programming; reimbursing CCVA executive directors, administrators, and commissioners for transportation costs related to a conference, program, or both; and verifying a person’s qualifications to work as a CCVA commissioner, executive director, or administrator. The bill requires that all funds received by the VA for these purposes must be deposited in the CCVA training account. The bill replaces the VA’s duty to provide certification training to executive directors and administrators of CCVA with the duty to verify each executive director, administrator, and commissioner of a CCVA is fully qualified to work in the person’s position. Such qualifications include but are not limited to obtaining certification that is federally required for the member, executive director, or administrator’s position within months of beginning the person’s employment; obtaining a personal identification verification card necessary to access VBMS within months of beginning the person’s employment; maintaining certification that is federally required for the member, executive director, or administrator’s position; maintaining an active personal identification verification card and has access to VBMS; having proficiency in the use of electronic mail, general computer use, and use of the internet to access information regarding facilities, benefits, and services available to veterans and their families if the person is an executive director or administrator. The bill prohibits moneys in the veterans trust fund from being used for cemetery grant development purposes.3. The bill requires a CCVA executive director or administrator to complete a course for the purpose of obtaining certification federally required for the person’s position and a personal identification verification (PIV) card necessary to access VBMS. If an executive director or administrator fails to obtain certification or a PIV card within one year of being employed, the executive director or administrator shall be removed from office. Under current law, the VA is required to provide the training and issue a certificate of completion. The bill requires an executive director or administrator to satisfy the continuing education requirements established by the United States department of veterans affairs and the requirements necessary to maintain an active PIV card and access to the VBMS. Failure of an executive director or administrator to maintain certification and access to VBMS shall be cause for removal from office. The bill requires funeral expenses for a veteran or a veteran’s spouse, surviving spouse, or child be paid by the county in which the person resided if the veteran died without leaving sufficient means to pay funeral expenses.13.17 (maintenance of graves).