Stricken language would be deleted from and underlined language would be added to present law.
Act 941 of the Regular Session
1 State of Arkansas
2 93rd General Assembly A Bill
3 Regular Session, 2021 SENATE BILL 624
4
5 By: Senator D. Wallace
6 By: Representative Love
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8 For An Act To Be Entitled
9 AN ACT TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING PROGRAMS PROVIDING
10 FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE TO COUNTIES BY THE DEPARTMENT OF
11 VETERANS AFFAIRS; AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES.
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13
14 Subtitle
15 TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING PROGRAMS
16 PROVIDING FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE TO
17 COUNTIES BY THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS
18 AFFAIRS.
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21 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ARKANSAS:
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23 SECTION 1. Arkansas Code 20-81-106 is amended to read as follows:
24 20-81-106. County programs.
25 (a)(1) The Department of Veterans Affairs is authorized to establish,
26 implement, and maintain a program for providing financial assistance to the
27 counties to assist the counties in paying the salaries and expenses of county
28 veterans' service officers.
29 (2) Any program established and maintained by the Department of
30 Veterans Affairs shall provide for financial assistance to applying counties
31 on the basis of one dollar ($1.00) of state funds for each two dollars
32 ($2.00) of county funds provided for the payment of the salary and expenses
33 of the particular veterans' service officer of the applying county.
34 (3)(A) No county shall Except as provided in subdivision
35 (a)(3)(B) of this section, a county shall not receive financial assistance
36 under the provisions of this act in excess of three thousand six hundred
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 SB624
1 dollars ($3,600) in any fiscal year.
2 (B) However, the financial assistance to counties under
3 this section may be increased to a maximum of four thousand eight hundred
4 dollars ($4,800) per year for those counties wherein the veteran population
5 exceeds two thousand five hundred (2,500) veterans as reflected by the latest
6 United States Department of Veterans Affairs report on veteran population.
7 (b)(1) In addition to the financial assistance provided under this
8 act, the Department of Veterans Affairs may provide an additional incentive
9 payment of five hundred dollars ($500) per quarter of the fiscal year to
10 counties that ensure the county's veteran's service officers obtain or
11 maintain accreditation by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs.
12 (2) In addition to the financial assistance provided under this
13 act, the Department of Veterans Affairs may provide an additional incentive
14 payment of five hundred dollars ($500) per quarter of the fiscal year to
15 counties that ensure the county's veteran's service officers obtain or
16 maintain access to and proficiency in the United States Department of Veteran
17 Affairs' Veterans Benefits Management System.
18 (4)(c) Assistance grants pursuant to under this section may be
19 made only to those counties employing a county veterans' service officer who
20 meets the training and testing qualifications, scheduled number of work hours
21 per month, and other qualifications prescribed by the Department of Veterans
22 Affairs for county veterans' service officers.
23 (b)(d)(1) The county veterans' service officers shall serve at the
24 pleasure of the individual incumbent county judge in his or her respective
25 county.
26 (2) However, supervision, training, and testing of county
27 veterans' service officers shall be the responsibility of the Department of
28 Veterans Affairs.
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31 APPROVED: 4/27/21
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