AB 22 — Revises certain provisions relating to veterans. (BDR 37-123)

(ReprintedAssembly withBill amendmentsNo. adopted on April 11, 2017) FIRST REPRINT A.B.

2222–Committee ASSEMBLYon BGovernment ILLNAffairs O.CHAPTER..........

22–COMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS (ON B EHALF OF THE D EPARTMENT OF VETERANS SERVICES ) PREFILED N OVEMBER 16, 2016 ____________ Referred to Committee on Government Affairs SUMMARY—Revises certain provisions relating to veterans.

(BDR 37-123) FISCAL NOTE:

Effect on Local Government:

No.

Effect on the State:

Executive Budget.

~ EXPLANATION – Matter in bolded italics is new;

matter between brackets [omitted material] is material to be omitted.

LegislativeLegiExisting Counsel’slaw Digest:requires the Director of the Department of Veterans Services to appoint one Deputy Director of the Department, who must be a resident of Nevada, possess an honorable discharge from some branch of the military or naval service and have at least 4 years of management or administration experience.

Existing(NRS law417.030) requiresSection the2 Director of thethis Departmentbill: of Veterans Services to appoint one Deputy Director of the Department, who must be a resident of Nevada, and have at least 4 years of management or administration experience.

(NRService(1) 417.030)authorizes Sectionthe 2Director to appoint additional deputy directors as needed to assist the Director in performing his or her duties, including a Deputy Director for Programs and Services and a Deputy Director for for Programs and Services and the Deputy Director for Health and Wellness.irector Sections 1, 3 and 5 of this bill:bill make conforming changes to account for the appointment of additional deputy directors.

(1)Sections authorizes4, the6, Director7 toand appoint11 additionalof deputythis directorsbill aseliminate neededreferences toin assistexisting thelaw Directorto incertain performingpowers hisand orduties herof duties,the includingDeputy aDirector, Deputythereby leaving the Director forwith Programsthe anddiscretion Servicesto andassign athose Deputypowers Directorand forduties Healthto anda Wellness;deputy director.

and (2) prescribes the qualifications of the Deputy Director Sections 1, 3 and 5 of this bill make conforming changes to account for the appointment of additional deputy directors.

Sections 4, 6, 7 and 11 of this bill eliminate references in existing law to certain powers and duties of the Deputy - *AB22_R1* – 2 – Director, thereby leaving the Director with the discretion to assign those powers and duties to a deputy director.

In 2011, the Legislature eliminated the provision of guardianship services by the Office of Veterans Services, which is now known as the Department of Veterans Services.

2194) Sections 9, 10 and 12 of this bill remove provisions inadvertently remaining in existing law related to the previous role of the Director as guardian of the estates of certain veterans and their dependents.

Section 12 of this bill removes the requirement in existing law that the office of the Deputy Director be maintained in Las Vegas and the office of the Director be maintained in the same city as the state regional office of the United States be Department of Veterans Affairs.

(NRS 417.070) THE- PEOPLE79th OFSession THE(2017) STATE– OF2 NEVADA,– REPRESENTEDEXPLANATION IN– SENATEMatter ANDin ASSEMBLY,bolded DOitalics ENACTis ASnew; FOLLOWS:

matter between brackets [omitted material] is material to be omitted.

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEVADA, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEMBLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

- *AB22_R1* – 3 – (b) Possess an honorable discharge from some branch of the military and naval service of the United States;

and (c) Have at least 4 years of experience in health care management¬ orIf administration.no person is available for appointment who possesses all the qualifications required by this subsection, the Director may waive the qualification set forth in paragraph (b) for a person who is otherwise qualified for appointment pursuant to paragraphs (a) and (c).

¬ If no person is available for appointment who possesses all the qualifications required by this subsection, the Director may waive the qualification set forth in paragraph (b) for a person who is otherwise qualified for appointment pursuant to paragraphs (a) and (c).

Except as otherwise provided in NRS 284.143, the Director and each deputy - 79th Session (2017) – 3 – director shall devote his or her entire time and attention to the business of his or her office and shall not pursue any other business or occupation or hold any other office of profit.

417.0901.7.0Assist Theveterans, Directorand [andthose presently serving in the Deputymilitary Director]and shall:naval forces of the United States who are residents of the State of Nevada, their wives, widows, widowers, husbands, children, dependents, administrators, executors and personal representatives, in preparing, submitting and presenting any claim against the United States, or any state, for adjusted compensation, hospitalization, insurance, pension, disability compensation, vocational training, education or rehabilitation and assist them in obtaining any aid or benefit to which they may, from time to time, be entitled under the laws of the United States or of any of the states.

1.

Assist veterans, and those presently serving in the military and naval forces of the United States who are residents of the State of Nevada, their wives, widows, widowers, husbands, children, dependents, administrators, executors and personal representatives, in preparing, submitting and presenting any claim against the United States, or any state, for adjusted compensation, hospitalization, insurance, pension, disability compensation, vocational training, education or rehabilitation and assist them in obtaining any aid or benefit to which they may, from time to time, be entitled under the laws of the United States or of any of the states.

Conduct any studies which will assist veterans to obtain compensation, hospitalization, insurance, pension, disability compensation, vocational training, education, rehabilitation or anyanylity other benefit to which veterans may be entitled under the laws of the United States or of any state.

- *AB22_R1* – 4 – 7.

- 79th Session (2017) – 4 – 10.

11.and private entities that provide services and resources to veterans, service members and their families and publish a digital copy of the registry on the Internet website maintained by the Department.

Create and maintain a registry of governmental agencies and private entities that provide services and resources to veterans, service members and their families and publish a digital copy of the registry on the Internet website maintained by the Department.

(b) Make recommendations to the Governor, the Legislature [,] andto theveterans.ctor Director [and the Deputy Director] regarding issues relating to3. veterans.

3.

- *AB22_R1* – 5 – 2.

- 79th Session (2017) – 5 – (d) Grants obtained by the Director [or the Deputy Director] for the support of veterans’ cemeteries;

and (e) Except as otherwise provided in subsection 6 and NRS 417.115, 417.145, 417.147 and 417.410, gifts of money and proceeds derived from the sale of gifts of personal property that he or she is authorized to accept, if the use of such gifts has not been restricted by the donor, ¬ must be deposited with the State Treasurer for credit to the Account for Veterans Affairs and must be accounted for separately for a veterans’ cemetery in northern Nevada or a veterans’ cemetery in southern Nevada, whichever is appropriate.

5.personal property which the Director [or the Deputy Director] is authorized to receive but which are not appropriate for conversion to money may be used in kind.