Title 43, STATE GOVERNMENT—EXECUTIVE

The director may appoint a deputy director and assistant directors as shall be needed to administer the department, all of whom shall be veterans. The deputy shall have charge and general supervision of the department in the absence or disability of the director, and in case of a…

The director may delegate any power or duty vested in or transferred to the director by law or executive order to a deputy director or to any other assistant or subordinate, but the director shall be responsible for the official acts of the officers and employees of the departmen…

In addition to other powers and duties, the director is authorized: (1) To cooperate with officers and agencies of the United States in all matters affecting veterans affairs; (2) To accept grants, donations, and gifts on behalf of this state for veterans affairs from any person,…

The director of the department of veterans affairs shall have full power to manage and govern the state soldiers' home and colony, the Washington veterans' home, the eastern Washington veterans' home, and the Walla Walla veterans' home. [ 2014 c 184 s 8; 2001 2nd sp.s. c 4 s 7; 1…

(1) There is hereby created a veterans affairs advisory committee which shall serve in an advisory capacity to the governor and the director of the department of veterans affairs. The committee shall appoint members to serve as liaisons to each of the state veterans' homes, unles…

The department of veterans affairs, to the extent funds are made available, shall: (1) Contract with professional counseling specialists to provide a range of direct treatment services to state veterans, including national guard and reservists, with military-related mental health…

The department shall coordinate the programs contained in RCW 43.60A.100 with the services offered by the department of social and health services, local mental health organizations, and the federal department of veterans affairs to minimize duplication. [ 1991 c 55 s 2.]

The department of veterans affairs shall give priority in its counseling and instructional programs to treating state veterans located in rural areas of the state, especially those who are members of traditionally underserved minority groups, and women veterans. [ 1991 c 55 s 3.]…

The department of veterans affairs shall design its posttraumatic stress disorder and combat stress programs and related activities to provide veterans with as much privacy and confidentiality as possible and yet consistent with sound program management. [ 1991 c 55 s 4.]

(1) The veterans stewardship account is created in the custody of the state treasurer. Disbursements of funds must be on the authorization of the director or the director's designee, and only for the purposes stated in subsection (4) of this section. In order to maintain an effec…

(1) The Washington veterans conservation corps is created. The department shall establish enrollment procedures for the program. Enrollees may choose to participate in either or both the volunteer projects list authorized in subsection (2) of this section, and the training, certi…

(1) The department shall assist veterans enrolled in the veterans conservation corps with obtaining employment in conservation programs and projects that restore Washington's natural habitat, maintain and steward local, state, and federal forestlands and other outdoor lands, main…

The department shall collaborate with the department of ecology and the department of natural resources and any of its partnering agencies in implementing the Washington conservation corps, created in chapter 43.220 RCW, to maximize the utilization of both conservation corps prog…

The department shall seek to enter agreements with the bureau of land management, the national park service, the United States forest service, the United States fish and wildlife service, and other federal agencies managing lands or waterways in Washington, for the employment of …

The salmon recovery funding board shall cooperate with the department of veterans affairs to inform salmon habitat project sponsors of the availability of veterans conservation corps enrollees to perform project work. From applications submitted, the board and the department shal…

(1) There is created in the department a veterans innovations program. The purpose of the veterans innovations program is to provide crisis and emergency relief and education, training, and employment assistance to veterans and their families in their communities. (2) Subject to …

(1) The department may receive gifts, grants, or endowments from public or private sources that are made from time to time, in trust or otherwise, for the use and benefit of the purposes of the veterans innovations program and spend gifts, grants, or endowments or income from the…

The veterans innovations program account is created in the state treasury. Moneys in the account may be spent only after appropriation. Expenditures from the account may be used only for purposes of the veterans innovations program. [ 2014 c 179 s 3; 2010 1st sp.s. c 37 s 924; 20…

(1) The department shall: (a) Maintain a current list of certified veteran-owned businesses; and (b) Make the list of certified veteran-owned businesses available on the department's public website. (2) To qualify as a certified veteran-owned business, the business must: (a) Be a…

(1) The department shall develop a procedure for certifying veteran-owned businesses and maintain a list of veteran-owned businesses on the department's public website. (2) The department shall adopt rules necessary to implement chapter 5, Laws of 2010. The department shall consu…

(1) State agencies are encouraged to award three percent of all procurement contracts that are exempt from competitive bidding requirements under *RCW 43.19.1906(2) to veteran-owned businesses certified by the department under RCW 43.60A.195. (2) State agencies shall: (a) Perform…

Any retailer in the state may provide an opportunity for patrons to make voluntary donations to the disabled veterans assistance account created in RCW 43.60A.215 on Veterans Day and any additional days the retailer decides would be appropriate. [ 2010 c 90 s 1.]

(1) The disabled veterans assistance account is created in the custody of the state treasurer. Disbursements of funds must be on the authorization of the director or the director's designee, and only for the purposes stated in subsection (4) of this section. In order to maintain …

The coordinator for the helmets to hardhats program is created in the department of veterans affairs, subject to the availability of amounts appropriated for this specific purpose. The department shall establish procedures for coordinating with the national helmets to hardhats pr…

The department must support veterans by providing information regarding available veterans services. Subject to the availability of amounts appropriated for the specific purposes provided in this section, the department must: (1) Contact veterans within 90 days of receipt of a di…

(1) There is created in the department the veterans service officer program. The purpose of the veterans service officer program is to provide funding to underserved eligible counties to establish and maintain a veterans service officer within the county. "Eligible counties," for…

(1) There is created in the custody of the state treasurer an account to be known as the veterans service officer fund. Revenues to the fund consist of appropriations by the legislature, private contributions, and all other sources deposited in the fund. (2) Expenditures from the…

It is the intent of the legislature to increase state appropriations for veterans service officer and peer mentoring programs with chapter 224, Laws of 2023. As a result, and subject to the availability of amounts appropriated for this specific purpose, the department shall provi…

(1) The position of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer coordinator is created within the department. (2) The duties of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer coordinator include, but are not limited to: (a) Conducting outreach to, and providing assistance …

(1) The position of military spouse liaison is created within the department. (2) The duties of the military spouse liaison include, but are not limited to: (a) Conducting outreach to and advocating on behalf of military spouses in Washington; (b) Providing assistance and informa…

(1) The department, the employment security department, and the department of commerce shall consult local chambers of commerce, associate development organizations, and businesses to initiate a demonstration campaign to increase military spouse employment. This campaign may incl…

(1) The department is authorized to erect signs recognizing that Washington state is a purple heart state as designated in RCW 1.20.190. The department is authorized to accept gifts or donations to assist efforts related to Washington state being a purple heart state. (2) The dep…

(1) There is created in the department a suicide prevention community-based services grant program. The purpose of the grant program is to provide suicide prevention, peer support, and other assistance to at-risk and transitioning veterans and military members and their families …

(1) The veterans and military members suicide prevention account is created in the custody of the state treasurer. The account shall consist of funds appropriated by the legislature, revenues received from the prevent veteran suicide emblem under RCW 46.18.300, and all receipts f…

Beginning December 2022, subject to the availability of amounts appropriated for this specific purpose, the governor's challenge team and service members, veterans, and their families suicide prevention advisory committee shall report to the legislature on a biannual basis regard…

Subject to the availability of amounts appropriated for this specific purpose, the department shall: (1) Create and maintain a database of information on nonprofit, for-profit, city, county, state, and federal organizations, providers, and resources that address the mental health…

(1) For the protection of applicants and clients, the department and its respective officers and employees are prohibited, except as provided in subsection (2) of this section, from disclosing veteran discharge or separation documents, such as DD Form 214 or NGB Form 22. Such rec…

The department shall develop and implement an outreach program to ensure that veterans as defined in RCW 41.04.005 and 41.04.007 are aware of state veterans' benefits and programs. Outreach information shall explain, in an easy to understand format, changes in the law made by cha…

All employees and personnel of the department of social and health services directly engaged in services to veterans shall, on June 25, 1976, be transferred to the jurisdiction of the department of veterans affairs. All employees classified under chapter 41.06 RCW, the state civi…

If apportionments of budgeted funds are required because of the transfers authorized by this chapter, the director of financial management shall certify such apportionments to the agencies affected, the state auditor, and the state treasurer. Each of these shall make the appropri…

In furtherance of the policy of the state to cooperate with the federal government in all of the programs included in this chapter, such rules and regulations as may become necessary to entitle the state to participate in federal funds may be adopted, unless the same be expressly…

Nothing contained in this chapter shall be construed to alter any existing collective bargaining unit or the provisions of any existing collective bargaining agreement until any such agreement has expired or until any such bargaining unit has been modified by action of the Washin…

The rule of strict construction shall have no application to this chapter and it shall be liberally construed in order to carry out the objective for which it is designed, in accordance with the legislative intent to give the director the maximum possible freedom in carrying the …