(a) The department of veterans services shall conduct a study within the existing resources of the department that includes:(1) An evaluation of county veterans service office resources, including:(A) Current county veterans service officer (CVSO) staffing levels;(B) Accreditation status of office personnel;(C) The hours of operation of such offices; and(D) CVSO office budget levels and funding sources;(2) The identification of underserved areas, including:(A) An analysis of veteran population by county;(B) A comparison of veteran population numbers based on accredited CVSOs; and(C) The identification of counties or regions without a full-time CVSO;(3) Operational capacity, including a review and compilation of county-level workload productivity metrics;(4) Local outreach efforts, community outreach events, partnerships, and other entities providing, or sources of, assistance for veterans at the local level; and(5) The identification of potential funding mechanisms to support local veterans service offices.
(1) An evaluation of county veterans service office resources, including:(A) Current county veterans service officer (CVSO) staffing levels;(B) Accreditation status of office personnel;(C) The hours of operation of such offices; and(D) CVSO office budget levels and funding sources;
(A) Current county veterans service officer (CVSO) staffing levels;
(B) Accreditation status of office personnel;
(C) The hours of operation of such offices; and
(D) CVSO office budget levels and funding sources;
(2) The identification of underserved areas, including:(A) An analysis of veteran population by county;(B) A comparison of veteran population numbers based on accredited CVSOs; and(C) The identification of counties or regions without a full-time CVSO;
(A) An analysis of veteran population by county;
(B) A comparison of veteran population numbers based on accredited CVSOs; and
(C) The identification of counties or regions without a full-time CVSO;
(3) Operational capacity, including a review and compilation of county-level workload productivity metrics;
(4) Local outreach efforts, community outreach events, partnerships, and other entities providing, or sources of, assistance for veterans at the local level; and
(5) The identification of potential funding mechanisms to support local veterans service offices.
(b) The department shall compile a report of the study conducted pursuant to subsection (a) and submit the report to the governor and the speakers of the senate and house of representatives no later than December 31, 2026.
(c) This section is deleted on January 1, 2027.