§ 14 — Local veterans' service agencies

§ 14. Local veterans' service agencies. 1. County veterans' service\nagencies. There shall be established a county veterans' service agency\nin each county not wholly included within a city, and there shall be a\ncounty director of each county veterans' service agency. Any county\ndirector hired after the effective date of this chapter shall be a\nveteran as defined in New York state statute. The chair of the board of\nsupervisors of a county, with the approval of the board of supervisors,\nshall appoint and may at pleasure remove a county director of the county\nveterans' service agency for such county. In a county having a county\npresident, a county executive or other chief executive officer, such\npresident or executive officer shall appoint and may at pleasure remove\na county director. The county director may be paid such compensation as\nshall be fixed by the appointing officer and the board of supervisors.\nThe county director shall appoint such assistants and employees as he or\nshe may deem necessary, other than those, if any, supplied by the state;\nhe or she may prescribe the duties of those appointed by him or her and\nfix their salaries within the appropriations made available for that\npurpose by the county and may at pleasure remove any such assistants or\nemployees. The county director shall have jurisdiction throughout the\nterritorial limits of the county, including any city therein which does\nnot have a city veterans' service agency, provided that after the\nestablishment of a city veterans' service agency in any such city, the\ncounty director shall not have jurisdiction within such city.\n 2. City veterans' service agency. There may be established a city\nveterans' service agency in each city; and there shall be a city\ndirector of each city veterans' service agency which is established. The\nmayor of such city, or the city manager in a city of less than one\nhundred forty thousand population having a city manager, shall appoint\nand may at pleasure remove the city director. A city director may be\npaid such compensation as shall be fixed by the mayor or city manager,\nas the case may be, empowered to appoint the city director, and the\ngoverning body of the city. The city director may appoint such deputies,\nassistants and employees as he or she may deem necessary other than\nthose, if any, supplied by the state; the director may prescribe the\nduties of those appointed by him or her and fix their salaries within\nthe appropriations made available for that purpose by the city and may\nat pleasure remove any such assistant or employee. A city director shall\nhave jurisdiction throughout the territorial limits of the city.\n 3. Accreditation. (a) Current county or city directors within three\nyears from the effective date of this subdivision shall take all steps\nnecessary to be accredited as a veterans service organization (VSO)\nrepresentative. Accreditation shall mean the authority granted by the\nUnited States Department of Veterans Affairs to assist veterans and\ntheir family members in the preparation, presentation, and prosecution\nof claims for benefits pursuant to section 5902 of Title 38 U.S.C. and\nsection 14.628 of Title 38 Code of Federal Regulations. Once an\napplication for accreditation is approved by the General Counsel of the\nUnited States Department of Veterans Affairs and the applicant is\nnotified of this action, the director of the county or city veterans\nservice agency shall file a copy of the accreditation certificate from\nthe appropriate veterans service organization with the commissioner of\nthe department. Such accreditation shall be maintained during the\nduration of his or her status as a director of such county or city\nveterans service agency. The commissioner of the department may\ndetermine that satisfactory completion of a course or instruction on\nveterans' benefits approved by the United States Department of Veterans\nAffairs and conducted by the department may fulfill the requirements of\nthis subdivision.\n (b) Any county or city director hired after the effective date of this\nchapter shall take all steps necessary to be accredited as a veterans\nservice organization (VSO) representative within eighteen months of such\nappointment. Accreditation shall mean the authority granted by the\nUnited States Department of Veterans Affairs to assist veterans and\ntheir family members in the preparation, presentation, and prosecution\nof claims for benefits pursuant to section 5902 of Title 38 U.S.C. and\nsection 14.628 of Title 38 Code of Federal Regulations. Once an\napplication for accreditation is approved by the General Counsel of the\nUnited States Department of Veterans Affairs and the applicant is\nnotified of this action, the director of the county or city veterans\nservice agency shall file a copy of the accreditation certificate from\nthe appropriate veterans service organization with the commissioner of\nthe department. Such accreditation shall be maintained during the\nduration of his or her status as a director of such county or city\nveterans service agency. The commissioner of the department may\ndetermine that a satisfactory completion of a course of instruction on\nveterans' benefits approved by the United States Department of Veterans\nAffairs and conducted by the department may fulfill the requirements of\nthis subdivision.\n (c) During the time a director is working toward accreditation\npursuant to paragraphs (a) and (b) of this subdivision, such individual\nmay provide services to veterans and their family members as defined in\nsection fifteen of this article other than the preparation,\npresentation, and prosecution of claims for benefits under federal\nstatutes and regulations.\n