§ 1601 — Aid to veterans in need

(a) The monies annually available for the purposes of this chapter, or the amount of those monies that is necessary, shall be expended under the supervision of the Vermont Office of Veterans’ Affairs at the direction of the Adjutant and Inspector General. The Office of Veterans’ Affairs shall disburse the funds, as necessary, in aiding, caring for, and educating veterans in need and persons in need who are legal dependents of veterans. The Office of Veterans’ Affairs shall award funds to applicants approved for assistance based on criteria approved by the Adjutant and Inspector General. Monetary assistance will be given only to applicants who would not be better served by other State, federal, or private assistance programs. The Adjutant and Inspector General shall determine conditions for eligibility and shall ensure that the program is managed to the limit imposed by the available funding. The Office of Veterans’ Affairs shall submit an annual report to the Adjutant and Inspector General on all fund activities at the end of each fiscal year. In addition, the Adjutant and Inspector General shall review all fund expenditures at least once per fiscal year.
(b) The Office of Veterans’ Affairs shall develop application and operating procedures for the fund, which must be approved by the Office of the Adjutant and Inspector General. Any deviation from the application and operating procedures shall be approved by the Adjutant and Inspector General. The application and operating procedures shall be available for review by applicants, service providers, and others that may have an interest in the fund. (Amended 1959, No. 328 (Adj. Sess.), § 8(a), (b); 1983, No. 195 (Adj. Sess.), § 5(b); 2001, No. 116 (Adj. Sess.), § 8, eff. May 28, 2002; 2021, No. 105 (Adj. Sess.), § 381, eff. July 1, 2022.)