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37-18.1 Administrative Committee on Veterans' Affairs

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CHAPTER 37-18.1ADMINISTRATIVE COMMITTEE ON VETERANS' AFFAIRS37-18.1-01.Administrative committee on veterans' affairs - Membership -Appointment. There is hereby created an administrative committee on veterans' affairs, which,<br>for purposes of this chapter, must hereinafter be referred to as the committee. The committee<br>must consist of three ex officio nonvoting members and fifteen voting members. The adjutant<br>general, the center director of the veterans' administration, and the executive director of job<br>service North Dakota are the ex officio nonvoting members who shall serve in an advisory<br>capacity to the committee. On or before June 20, 1971, the American legion, the veterans of<br>foreign wars, the disabled American veterans, the veterans of World War II, Korea, and Vietnam,<br>(amvets), and Vietnam veterans of America, incorporated, shall each prepare a list containing the<br>names of six persons qualifying as veterans under the provisions of section 37-01-40, for<br>appointment as voting members of the committee. On or before July 1, 1971, the governor shall<br>select fifteen nominees, three from each list, five of whom must be appointed to a term of three<br>years, five of whom must be appointed to a term of two years, and five of whom must be<br>appointed to a term of one year, or until their successors are appointed and qualified. On or<br>before the twentieth day of June in each year, beginning in the year 1972, each of the<br>above-listed nominating organizations shall submit a list containing the names of two persons<br>who qualify as veterans under the provisions of section 37-01-40, to the governor for<br>appointment or reappointment as voting members of the committee. On or before the first day of<br>July in each year, beginning in the year 1972, the governor shall select one nominee from each<br>list, a total of five nominees, to fill expiring terms of voting members of the committee. Each such<br>appointment must be for a term of three years, or until a successor is appointed and qualified.<br>All terms begin on the first day of July and end on the thirtieth day of June in the year specified.<br>In case of the inability or failure of any voting member of the committee to serve, the governor<br>shall appoint another member from a list of two persons qualifying as veterans under the<br>provisions of section 37-01-40, submitted by the nominating organization represented by the<br>member who was unable or failed to serve. Such appointments must be made for the remainder<br>of the unexpired term.37-18.1-02. Chairman - Secretary - Duties - Terms - Meetings. A chairman and asecretary of the committee must be appointed by the governor from among the voting<br>membership of the committee. Such appointment must be made annually, with the term of office<br>to begin on the first day of July of the year specified and to end on the thirtieth day of June of the<br>following year. Meetings of the committee must be held upon the call of the chairman, at such<br>times and places as may be selected by the chairman, and upon due notice to committee<br>members by the secretary. Meetings must also be called by the chairman upon the written<br>request of any four voting members of the committee.A majority of the members of thecommittee is required for a quorum, and a majority of the members present voting in favor<br>thereof is required for any action.37-18.1-03.Powers and duties of committee - Creation of subcommittee andgoverning board.The committee is responsible for organization, policy, and generaladministration of all veterans' affairs in the state of North Dakota. It has the following powers and<br>duties:1.The chairman and secretary of the committee, acting jointly, shall appoint a<br>seven-member governing board for administration of the veterans' home, from within<br>or outside the committee, subject to ratification of a majority vote of the committee,<br>and shall establish term lengths for service on the governing board. The governing<br>board has all ordinary powers required of a governing board, including the power to<br>establish qualifications for and selection of an administrator and to establish an<br>appropriate salary structure, subject to limitations of legislative appropriation. The<br>administrator serves at the pleasure of the governing board.2.The chairman and secretary of the committee jointly shall appoint a subcommittee to<br>be responsible for supervision and government of the department of veterans'Page No. 1affairs. Once appointed, a subcommittee member may continue to serve as long as<br>the member remains a voting member of the committee, unless removed from the<br>subcommittee by joint action of the committee chairman and secretary. A member<br>of the subcommittee may not serve on the governing board of the veterans' home.<br>Each nominating organization listed in section 37-18.1-01 must have at least one<br>voting member nominated by the organization serving on the subcommittee. The<br>subcommittee shall select by majority vote of the members a chairman to preside for<br>the term of one year.3.The committee shall appoint the commissioner of the department of veterans'<br>affairs. The commissioner must be a bona fide resident of the state, and must<br>qualify as a veteran as defined in section 37-01-40. The commissioner serves at the<br>pleasure of the committee. The committee shall determine the salary paid to the<br>commissioner of the department of veterans' affairs within the limits of legislative<br>appropriation. The commissioner of veterans' affairs shall serve as the executive<br>secretary for the subcommittee. The commissioner has no vote in the affairs of the<br>subcommittee.4.The committee shall, under recommendation from the board or the subcommittee,<br>present any matters needing attention and action to the appropriate board,<br>commission, agency, or department of the state, and the North Dakota veterans'<br>coordinating council.5.The committee shall assure compliance with applicable federal and state laws in the<br>administration of both the department of veterans' affairs and the North Dakota<br>veterans' home and shall exercise its responsibilities in all things necessary to carry<br>out the provisions of this chapter in regard to organization, policy, and general<br>administration of the agencies served and involved in the conduct of veterans'<br>affairs. The board governing the veterans' home and the subcommittee governing<br>the department of veterans' affairs shall conduct an annual performance evaluation<br>of the administrator and commissioner, respectively, with the evaluation presented<br>to the committee.The board and subcommittee shall create and implement astrategic plan for the veterans' home and the department of veterans' affairs,<br>respectively. The board and the subcommittee annually shall report as to the status<br>of the respective strategic plan to the committee.After receiving a report, thecommittee shall submit the report to the governor.37-18.1-04.Committee members not to receive compensation - Expensespermitted. Committee members may not receive any compensation for the performance of their<br>official duties. Voting members may be reimbursed for travel expenses and meals and lodging<br>expenses in connection with their official duties at the same rate and in the same manner as are<br>elected officials and employees of the state, with payment to be made by the department of<br>veterans' affairs and the veterans' home to each of their respective subcommittee members<br>incurring the expenses. The payment must be made by warrant-check drawn by the office of<br>management and budget upon the submission of a proper voucher to it, signed by the<br>commissioner of veterans' affairs or the administrator of the veterans' home, as the case may be.Page No. 2Document Outlinechapter 37-18.1 administrative committee on veterans' affairs