(a)(1) The department shall adopt rules governing the manner of performance of all functions and duties of the department and the various officers and employees, including the selection and appointment of all assistant commissioners, district managers, and veteran service officers.
(2)The department may adopt other rules as necessary to implement this chapter.
(3)On March 18, 2025, all rules previously adopted by the board shall be considered rules of the department until such time the department amends or repeals the rules.
(b)The department, in consultation with the board, shall establish and operate state veterans cemeteries and may apply to the government of the United States, or any subdivision, agency, or instrumentality thereof, for funds for the purpose of establishing, operatin
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(a)(1) The department shall adopt rules governing the manner of performance of all functions and duties of the department and the various officers and employees, including the selection and appointment of all assistant commissioners, district managers, and veteran service officers.
(2) The department may adopt other rules as necessary to implement this chapter.
(3) On March 18, 2025, all rules previously adopted by the board shall be considered rules of the department until such time the department amends or repeals the rules.
(b) The department, in consultation with the board, shall establish and operate state veterans cemeteries and may apply to the government of the United States, or any subdivision, agency, or instrumentality thereof, for funds for the purpose of establishing, operating, and maintaining the cemeteries. The department may enter into agreements with any subdivision of the state for assistance in operating the cemeteries. The department shall own the land on which the cemeteries are located. The department may accept federal grant funds, funding from state subdivisions, donations from private sources, and federal plot allowance payments. All of these funds shall be deposited into the Alabama Veterans’ Assistance Fund and may be used only for the establishment, operation, and maintenance of veterans cemeteries. The department may accept suitable cemetery land, in accordance with federal veterans cemetery grant guidelines, from the federal government, state government, state subdivisions, private sources, and any other source wishing to transfer land for use as a veterans cemetery. No funds used for these projects may be from the Education Trust Fund. The commissioner may execute deeds and other instruments of conveyance for the department. Any deed of cemetery property to the department prior to August 1, 2012, is ratified and confirmed.
(c) The department, through the commissioner and in consultation with the board, may contract with any organization of veterans which, for a period of five years next preceding the date of the contract, has maintained an established committee or agency rendering services to veterans, similar to the services referred to in Section 31-5-4, to perform the services for veterans and to process any claims or matters of veterans who apply to the department for assistance when the veterans have executed a power of attorney to the veterans’ organization. The department, through the contract, shall compensate the veterans’ organizations on the basis of service rendered, which compensation shall be paid from sums appropriated to the department. No contract shall be made unless the commissioner determines, owing to the confidential relationships involved and the necessity of operating through agencies which the veterans involved will feel to be sympathetic towards their problems, that the services cannot satisfactorily be rendered other than through the agency of the veterans’ organization and that the best interests of the veterans involved will be served if the contract is made.