Virginia Law

Article 18. Board of Veterans Services.

A. The Board of Veterans Services (the Board) is established as a policy board, within the meaning of § 2.2-2100, in the executive branch of state government. The Board shall have a total membership of 26 members, including seven legislative members, 15 nonlegislative citizen members, and four ex officio members. Members shall be appointed as follows: four members of the House of Delegates to be appointed by the Speaker of the House of Delegates in accordance with the principles of proportional representation contained in the Rules of the House of Delegates; three members of the Senate to be appointed by the Senate Committee on Rules; and 15 nonlegislative citizen members to be appointed by the Governor. The Commissioner of the Department of Veterans Services, the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Veterans Services Foundation, the Chairman of the Joint Leadership Council of Veterans Service Organizations, and the Chairman of the Virginia War Memorial Foundation, or their designees, shall serve ex officio with full voting privileges. Nonlegislative citizen members of the Board shall be citizens of the Commonwealth.

In making appointments, the Governor shall endeavor to ensure a balanced geographical representation on the Board, while at the same time selecting appointees of such qualifications and experience as will allow them to develop reasonable and effective policy recommendations related to (i) the services provided to veterans of the Armed Forces of the United States and their eligible spouses, orphans, and dependents by the Department of Veterans Services and (ii) the mission of the Virginia War Memorial.

Legislative members and the Commissioner of the Department of Veterans Services shall serve terms coincident with their terms of office. Nonlegislative citizen members shall be appointed for a term of four years. Appointments to fill vacancies, other than by expiration of a term, shall be for the unexpired terms. All members may be reappointed. However, no House member shall serve more than six consecutive two-year terms, and no Senate member shall serve more than three consecutive four-year terms. No nonlegislative citizen member shall serve more than two consecutive four-year terms; however, a nonlegislative citizen member appointed to serve an unexpired term is eligible to serve two consecutive four-year terms immediately succeeding such unexpired term.

The remainder of any term to which a member is appointed to fill a vacancy shall not constitute a term in determining the member's eligibility for reappointment. Vacancies shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointments.

B. The Board shall select a chairman and vice-chairman from its membership. The Commissioner of the Department of Veterans Services shall not be eligible to serve as chairman. The Board shall meet at least three times a year at such times as it deems appropriate or on call of the chairman. A majority of the members of the Board shall constitute a quorum.

C. The Board shall organize itself in such a way as to allow it to fulfill its powers and duties.

D. The Department of Veterans Services shall provide staff to assist the Board in its administrative, planning, and procedural duties.

2003, cc. 657, 670; 2004, c. 697; 2005, c. 758; 2008, cc. 467, 768; 2010, c. 64; 2012, cc. 33, 162; 2015, c. 319; 2017, cc. 89, 501; 2019, cc. 40, 204.

Legislative members of the Board shall receive such compensation as provided in § 30-19.12, and nonlegislative citizen members shall receive such compensation as provided in § 2.2-2813 for the performance of their duties. All members shall be reimbursed for all reasonable and necessary expenses incurred in the performance of their duties as provided in §§ 2.2-2813 and 2.2-2825. Funding for the costs of compensation and expenses of the members shall be provided by the Department of Veterans Services.

2003, cc. 657, 670; 2004, c. 1000.

The Board shall have the power and duty to:

1. Advise and make recommendations to the Commissioner of Veterans Services upon such matters as may arise in the performance of his duties;

2. Investigate issues related to the provision of care and services to veterans, upon request of the Commissioner of Veterans Services or the Governor;

3. Study all matters affecting the welfare of Virginia citizens who are veterans or dependents or survivors of such veterans, and make recommendations to the Commissioner of the Department of Veterans Services;

4. Develop recommendations for policies and procedures related to the efficient and effective delivery of the services provided by the Department of Veterans Services;

5. Establish policies related to the coordinated delivery of veterans services, in consultation with those agencies, entities, and organizations, including counties, cities, towns or other political subdivisions of the Commonwealth capable of providing such services;

6. Monitor the administration of all laws concerning veterans and their dependents;

7. Review and advise the Commissioner of the Department of Veterans Services on the Department's strategic plan;

8. Based on rigorous cost-benefit-value analysis, provide recommendations to the Department of Veterans Services regarding future projects and the acquisition of facilities that may benefit the State's veterans, including but not limited to veterans cemeteries and veterans care centers; and

9. Provide recommendations to the Department of Veterans Services and the Veterans Services Foundation created in § 2.2-2715 regarding gifts, grants, and other resources from public and private entities and organizations to support veterans services.

2003, cc. 657, 670.