§ 28-5-705 — Duties

Colorado § 28-5-705

• Jurisdiction: Colorado
• Title 28: Military and
• Art.: Veterans

Text

(1) The division, in accordance with its rules, shall perform
the following duties and functions:

(a) (I) Formulate, establish, and administer a plan and standard procedures to
further prompt and efficient service to all veterans in the state of Colorado on a
uniform basis, whether by the division or by any county veterans service office;

(II) Establish and maintain liaison with all county veterans service officers
and advise them of such plan and procedures;

(III) Make reasonable requests of such county veterans service officers for
their cooperation in the execution of such plan and procedures and in the handling
of veterans' cases and other matters;

(IV) Maintain liaison with the veterans administration and other appropriate
agencies of the federal government;

(V) Provide all county veterans service officers with pertinent information,
suggestions, forms, rulings, and other material in such form and in such manner as
the division may deem appropriate to assist all county veterans service officers in
the performance of their duties;

(VI) Distribute to such county veterans service officers any available
bulletins, manuals, pamphlets, or other appropriate material, prepared either by the
division or elsewhere, for the purposes stated in this section; and

(VII) Do such additional things, including the holding of conferences,
whenever advisable, with the county veterans service officers either in their
counties or in the office of the division or elsewhere and either singly or in groups,
as the division may deem advisable to assist such officers in the proper
performance of their duties and to keep them properly advised of current
developments in the veterans' field;

(b) Render personal service to members and former members, or the
surviving spouses, administrators, executors, conservators, guardians, or heirs of
members or former members, of the Colorado state defense force and the Colorado
National Guard in any claim they may have against the state or federal government;

(c) Assist all discharged members of the armed forces of the United States,
the surviving spouses, administrators, executors, conservators, guardians, or heirs
of any such veterans, or any other persons who may have proper claims by filing
and prosecuting such claims on behalf of such persons for insurance, pensions,
compensation, hospitalization, vocational training, education, loans, readjustment
allowances, or any other benefits which such persons may be or may become
entitled to receive under any of the laws of the United States, the state of Colorado,
or any other state by reason of such service;

(d) Cooperate with and assist veterans' organizations, county veterans
service officers, veterans' advisory groups, and all other organizations, now in
existence or formed on or after July 1, 1973, which provide assistance to those
persons mentioned in paragraph (c) of this subsection (1);

(e) Perform services in this state for the veterans administration on a
contractual, grant, or other basis, and perform such other duties and render such
other services in furtherance of the purposes of this article or any other law in
providing reasonable and proper assistance to veterans;

(f) Establish a training and certification program for newly appointed county
veterans service officers. Such program shall be presented to the board for
approval prior to implementation or modification.

(g) Prepare, develop, construct, and maintain a state military veterans'
cemetery pursuant to section 28-5-708 and seek reimbursement from the federal
department of veterans affairs for all allowable costs for the project as permitted
by federal law; and

(h) Make reasonable efforts to notify members of the armed forces of the
United States who are planning their return to civilian life and are located in
Colorado, or intend to relocate to Colorado upon discharge, of the requirements in
sections 12-20-202 (1)(b), (1)(d), (1)(e), (2), (3), and (4) and 42-2-403.

(i) Establish a consistent and uniform process to determine whether a
veteran qualifies as a discharged LGBT veteran, as described in section 28-5-103.

Legislative History

Source: L. 2002: Entire part added with relocations, p. 347, � 3, effective July 1. L. 2016: (1)(g) amended and (1)(h) added, (SB 16-134), ch. 195, p. 686, � 2, effective May 27. L. 2019: (1)(h) amended, (HB 19-1172), ch. 136, p. 1716, � 206, effective October 1. L. 2021: (1)(i) added, (SB 21-026), ch. 42, p. 174, � 5, effective November 11. L. 2024: (1)(a)(I) amended, (SB 24-004), ch. 29, p. 89, � 1, effective August 7.