WEST VIRGINIA LEGISLATURE
2022 REGULAR SESSION
Introduced
Senate Bill 698
By Senators Weld, Lindsay, and Hamilton
[Introduced February
21, 2022; referred
to the Committee on Military]
A BILL to amend and reenact §9A-1-2 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, relating to the number and selection of members for the Governor’s Veterans Council.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
ARTICLE 1. DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS’ ASSISTANCE.
§9A-1-2. Veterans' Council; administration of department.
(a) There is continued the "Veterans'
Council" consisting of nine 11 members who must be citizens
and residents of this state and who have served in and been honorably
discharged or separated under honorable conditions from the Armed Forces of the
United States and whose service was within a time of war as defined by the laws
of the United States.
(b) Where feasible, two
members of the council shall be veterans of either World War II or the Korean
Conflict, at least two members of the council shall be veterans of the Vietnam
era, at least one member shall be a veteran of the first Gulf War and at least
one member shall be a veteran of the Afghanistan or Iraqi Conflicts Where
feasible, members of the council shall be veterans who are active in the
veteran community and who have been recommended by a West Virginia veterans
service organization, with consideration given to ensure a diverse
representation of service branches in council membership. Additionally, no
more than seven members of the council shall reside in any one congressional
district. The members of the veterans' council shall be selected with
special reference to their ability and fitness to effectuate the purposes of
this article. If an eligible veteran is not available or cannot be selected, a
veteran who is a citizen and resident of this state, who served in and was
honorably discharged or separated under honorable conditions from the Armed
Forces of the United States and who served during any time of war or peace may
be selected.
(c) The secretary and such officers, assistants and employees as the secretary considers advisable, shall administer the West Virginia Department of Veterans' Assistance.
NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to ensure Veterans’ Council membership contains representatives from varying regions of the state as well as varying service branches.
Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken from a heading or the present law and underscoring indicates new language that would be added.