Chapter 9A, Chapter 9A

(a) Effective July 1, 2011, the West Virginia Division of Veterans' Affairs is redesignated the Department of Veterans' Assistance. (b) The purpose of the department is to aid, assist, counsel and advise, and to encourage competition among counties and municipalities to develop, …

The secretary is the executive and administrative head of the department and has the power and duty, subject to the provisions of section four of this article, to: (a) Supervise and put into effect the purposes and provisions of this article and the rules for the government of th…

(a) There is continued in the State Treasury a special revenue fund to be designated and known as the Veterans Facilities Support Fund which shall be administered by the secretary. (b) All interest or other returns earned on the investment of the moneys in the fund shall be credi…

There is hereby created in the state Treasury a special revenue fund to be designated and known as the Veterans Cemetery Fund which shall consist of excess revenues derived from the veterans instant lottery scratch-off game as appropriated to the fund by the Legislature and all i…

The Attorney General of the state and his or her assistants, and the prosecuting attorneys of the various counties, shall render to the Veterans' Council or secretary, such legal services as may be required in the discharge of the provisions of this article.

(a) A West Virginia veterans service decoration may be awarded to any resident of West Virginia who served in any of the federally recognized military services for a period at a time during which there was armed conflict. (b) A West Virginia Service Cross and ribbon bar, along wi…

(a) The Secretary of the Department of Veterans' Assistance is the chief executive officer of the department. Subject to the requirements for the qualification and appointment of the secretary provided in section four of this article, the Governor shall appoint the secretary, by …

(a) The secretary controls and supervises the department and is responsible for the work of each department employee. (b) The secretary has the power and authority specified in this article, in article two, chapter five-f of this code and as otherwise specified in this chapter. (…

The secretary shall report annually to the Governor concerning the conduct of the department and make other reports as the Governor may require.

Any governmental entity may appeal to the Governor for review upon a showing that application of the secretary's authority may interfere with the successful functioning of that entity. The Governor's decision controls on appeal.

(a) There is continued the Veterans Council consisting of 11 members who must be citizens and residents of this state and who have served in and been honorably discharged or separated under honorable conditions from the Armed Forces of the United States, and whose service was wit…

The term of office of the members of the veterans' council is six years, and members must be appointed by the Governor by and with the advice and consent of the Senate: Provided, That upon the expansion of the council from seven to nine members, the Governor shall initially appoi…

(a) It is the duty and function of The Veterans' Council to advise the secretary on the general administrative policies of the department, to select, at their first meeting in each fiscal year commencing on July 1, a chairperson to serve one year, to advise the secretary on rules…

(a) The secretary shall receive an annual salary as provided in section two-a, article seven, chapter six of this code and necessary traveling expenses incident to the performance of his or her duties. (b) The members of the Veterans' Council shall receive no salary, but each mem…

The members of the Veterans' Council, the secretary and the officers of the department shall take and subscribe to the oath prescribed by article four, section five of the state Constitution before entering on their duties. Their oaths shall be filed with the Secretary of State.

(a) The word, "veterans," shall be construed to mean any person who shall have served in the Armed Forces of the United States as defined in section one of this article. (b) The term, "federal agency," shall mean any agency, department or bureau created and established by the act…

(a) The offices of the secretary shall be located at the state capitol or other place provided in the capital city. The secretary shall keep his or her offices open at all reasonable times for the transaction of business. (b) The offices and meeting place of the Veterans' Council…

The department of veterans' assistance shall: (1) Assist veterans, their widows, widowers, dependents and orphans within the state, in properly presenting their claims before the United States Veterans' Administration, its administrator, or any federal agency, the State of West V…

(a) In consultation with the Governor and other appropriate state agencies, the Division Of Veterans" Affairs shall establish and maintain a home for qualified veterans. The home in Barboursville shall be designated as the sole veterans home of its type in the state. As used in t…

The division of veterans' affairs is hereby authorized and directed to receive moneys from the federal government, any agency thereof, from state appropriations, from resident contributions or from any other appropriate source, for the purpose of maintaining the state veterans' h…

The division of veterans' affairs is authorized and empowered to establish rules and regulations providing for the tenure, treatment, eligibility and discharge of eligible veterans at the veterans' home. The rules shall be promulgated to ensure that the division, in carrying out …

The Department of Veterans’ Assistance is hereby empowered to establish and maintain a state veterans' cemetery which shall be centrally located within the state and easily accessible. Interment in the state veterans' cemetery shall be available to all persons who are residents a…

The department shall promulgate rules and regulations not inconsistent herewith for the administration of the veterans' cemetery and shall make available to all persons eligible for the benefit thereof the facilities at such cemetery upon request.

(a) The Legislature finds that West Virginia veterans represent a strong and productive part of the workforce of this state. They are frequently disadvantaged in their pursuit of civilian employment as a result of military service and delayed entry into the civilian labor market.…

(a) "Eligible veteran" means a person who: (1) Served on active duty and was discharged or released from active duty with an honorable discharge or because of a service connected disability; (2) As a member of a reserve component under an order to active duty, served on active du…

For a veteran to receive a priority in services designation for a federal or state funded training program, the veteran shall first meet the eligibility criteria and qualifications of the specific program.

A veteran shall make application for a priority of services designation with the training provider by completing required documentation and identifying to the satisfaction of the training provider his or her eligibility in accordance with subsection (b), section two of this artic…

An eligible veteran who has applied for and received a priority of services designation and who has otherwise met the eligibility criteria for employment training through a federal or state funded program shall be placed in a pool of eligible applicants, ordered on the date of el…

Provisions of this article shall be superseded by federal laws and regulations which are more stringent or which provide specific veterans preference or priority of service relative to administering employment and training programs.

(a) The Legislature hereby finds that there exists a health care crisis among our state’s veterans and their families, with veterans in this state dying by suicide at a rate of nearly 60 percent higher than nonveterans. (b) The Legislature finds there are significant resources av…

(a) As used in this article, “at-risk veteran” means a person who is currently serving in the armed forces on active duty, reserve status, or in the National Guard, or a person who served on active duty, reserve status, or in the National Guard, or who was discharged, and who may…

(a) In addition to all other funding allocated to the department, the secretary is directed to seek funds, grants, and other sources of assistance from other agencies of government, as well as the private sector to accomplish the purposes of this article. (b) The secretary, in hi…

(a)(1) The secretary shall create a West Virginia Military Hall of Fame with the mission to honor veterans of West Virginia who have distinguished themselves on the field of battle and who have also made significant contributions to the state or their communities following their …