Existing federal law prohibits a person from acting as an agent or attorney in the preparation, presentation or prosecution of certain claims relating to benefits provided to veterans and certain family members of veterans, unless the person has been recognized or accredited by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs. (38 U.S.C. § 5901; 38 C.F.R. § 14.629(b)) Section 1 of this bill prohibits a person from preparing, presenting, prosecuting, advising, consulting or assisting any other person with a claim before the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, the United States Department of Defense or the Nevada Department of Veterans Services in violation of federal law, unless the person has received such recognition or accreditation. Section 2 of this bill makes the civil penalty for a violation of existing law governing services for veterans' benefits apply to a person who violates section 1. Sections 2 and 10 of this bill authorize a person who is aggrieved by a violation of section 1 to bring an action for consumer fraud. Existing law requires the Director of the Department of Veterans Services to establish, operate and maintain veterans' cemeteries in this State. (NRS 417.090) Existing law further requires the Director to charge a fee for the interment of a family member of a veteran who is eligible for interment in a veterans' cemetery in this State. (NRS 417.210) Section 3 of this bill prohibits the Director from charging a fee for the interment of the spouse of a veteran. Section 11 of this bill requires the Administrator of the Division of Human Resource Management of the Department of Administration to employ a Veterans Coordinator and requires the Veterans Coordinator to supervise the veteran hiring program and the peer mentor program established in sections 8 and 9 of this bill, respectively. Section 7 of this bill defines the term Veterans Coordinator for the purposes of sections 5-9 of this bill. Section 8 requires the Division of Human Resource Management, under the supervision of the Veterans Coordinator, to establish a veteran hiring program to support the recruitment and retention of employees who are veterans or the spouses of veterans or servicemembers. Section 8 further establishes certain requirements for the program and requires the Veterans Coordinator to provide to the Interagency Council on Veterans Affairs an annual report regarding the progress of the veteran hiring program. In 2019, the Governor established by executive order a peer mentor program for veterans. The executive order required the Division of Human Resource Management, under the supervision of the Veterans Coordinator, to develop a peer mentor program for certain veterans. The executive order further required each state agency that employs a veteran to identify one employee to serve as a peer mentor. Additionally, the Veterans Coordinator is required to provide an annual report regarding the progress of the peer mentor program to the Interagency Council on Veterans Affairs. (Executive Order 2019-05 (3-20-2019)) Section 9 codifies the requirements for the peer mentor program in statute. Existing law requires the Administrator of the Division of State Parks of the State Department of Conservation and Natural Resources to establish a program to issue, free of charge, an annual permit to enter all state parks and recreational areas in this State to any bona fide resident of this State who has been discharged, except a person who has been dishonorably discharged, from the Armed Forces of the United States. (NRS 407.0655) Section 12 of this bill requires the program to include the issuance of such annual permits to the widow, widower, parent or adult child of a person killed in the line of duty while serving on active duty in the Armed Forces of the United States.

Statutes affected:
As Introduced: 417.137, 417.210, 41.600, 407.0655
BDR: 417.137, 417.210, 41.600, 407.0655