Ala. Admin. Code r. 920-X-1-.04

Current through Register Vol. 43, No. 1, October 31, 2024

Section 920-X-1-.04 - General Description

The Department of Veterans Affairs is comprised of the following offices or divisions:

(1) Office of the State Service Commissioner. The overall planning and coordinating administrative unit of the department.

(2) Agency Administrative Division. This division is made up of four sections: Personnel and Budgeting, Alabama G.

I. and Dependents Educational Benefits, Printing, Supply and Property, plus the Mail/File Room. This division is headed by an assistant state service commissioner who reports directly to the state service commissioner.

(a) The Personnel and Budgeting Section is responsible for the preparation and administration of all personnel actions and files; plus annual budgets, operations plans and fiscal expenditures.

(b) The Alabama G.

I. and Dependents Educational Benefits Section is responsible for the adjudication of claims and the awarding of up to 36 months of free books, tuition and instructional fees to qualified dependents and survivors of Alabama veterans while attending any state supported college, university or technical college. This section must also reimburse the state educational institutions providing benefits under this program.

(c) The Printing and Supply and Property Section is responsible for printing and reproduction, purchasing and distributing supplies and property accounting for the department.

(d) The Mail/File Room is responsible for the processing and distributing of all incoming and outgoing mail; plus maintaining central case records for Alabama veterans.

(3) Statewide Claims Division. This division is made up of two operational units: Claims Section and County Service offices.

(a) Claims Section is responsible for providing professional reviews of veterans files located in the Montgomery Veterans Administration Regional Office to better enable the local veterans service officer to prepare evidence for the prosecution and presentation of claims, to represent claimants in personal appearances before VA Rating Boards, to disseminate all changes in laws, rules and regulations of the Veterans Administration to all county veterans service officers and to provide technical assistance in expediting claims for VA benefits.

(b) County service offices are responsible to provide professional veterans affairs assistance to all veterans, their dependents and survivors. The county service officer counsels and aids all veterans, their dependents and survivors in applying for all benefits available to them as set out in federal and/or state statutes. All services performed are free of any charges.

(4) State Veterans Homes are responsible for care and support of elderly or disabled veterans in the State of Alabama. The department is authorized to receive from any source gifts, contributions, bequests and individual reimbursements, the receipt of which does not exclude any other source of revenue. All funds received by the department shall be deposited in the State Treasury in the Alabama Veterans' Home Trust Fund and such funds shall be expended per authorization of the State Board of Veterans Affairs.

(a) The homes provide skilled nursing care for residents at each facility. Eligible veterans are responsible for the cost of care they receive as residents of one of the veterans' homes. The three homes are: Bill Nichols State Veterans Home, 1784 Elkahatchee Road, Alexander City, AL 35010; William F. Green State Veterans Home, 300 Faulkner Drive, Bay Minette, Al 36507; Floyd E. "Tut" Fann State Veterans Home, 2701 Meridian Street, Huntsville, AL 35811.

(b) Admission to and discharge from any Alabama state veterans home shall be in accordance with the policies and procedures as established by the State Board of Veterans Affairs at the time application for admission or for discharge is presented; provided, however, that the State Board of Veterans Affairs may admit and discharge veterans to any Alabama veterans homes who qualify for care and treatment under Title 38, U.S. Code and may adopt appropriate rules consistent with accepted medical considerations to carry out this function. (Acts 1988, 1st Sp. Sess. No. 88-776, p. 184)

Ala. Admin. Code r. 920-X-1-.04

Filed September 30, 1982. Amended: Filed January 7, 1999; effective February 11, 1999. Amended: Filed April 11, 2011; effective May 16, 2011.

Was previously 920-X-1-.03, as per certification filed January 4, 2001; effective February 8, 2001.

Author: Clyde Marsh

Statutory Authority:Code of Ala. 1975, §§ 31-5-6, 31-5-7.