Legislation

VETERANS

CHAPTER 281

(S. B. No. 109—Baird, Hamilton and Schlosser)

VETERANS' SERVICE COMMISSIONER

An Act Creating the Office of Veterans' Service Commissioner; Providing the Qualifications, the Manner of Appointment, Duties, Salary, Tenure of Office of Such Officer, Providing an Appropriation There for, and Declaring An Emergency.

Be It Enacted by the Legislative Assembly of the State of North Dakota:

§ 1. There is hereby created the office of Veterans' Service Commissioner.

§ 2. Qualifications and Appointment.] Such commissioner shall be appointed by the Governor of the State of North Dakota from a list of names of five men furnished by the State Executive Committee of. the American Legion. Any person to be eligible for appointment as such commissioner shall be an actual and bona fide resident of North Dakota, a regularly licensed attorney, or someone experienced in the prosecution of claims against the Veteran's Bureau and shall possess an honorable discharge either from the Navy, Army, or Marine Corps of the United States Government. 

§ 3. Duties.] It shall be the duty of the Veterans' Service Commissioner to investigate pending claims and to make a survey of the state to ascertain the number of veterans entitled to compensation who have not filed claims and to assist them in filing such claims if they are eligible for compensation; and to represent any honorably discharged veteran who has served at any time as a commissioned officer, or in the enlisted personnel of the United States Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Army Nurse Corps or Naval Nurse Corps, or the widow, administrator, executor, guardian or heir, of any such veteran, in securing a fair and equitable adjustment of any claim of any such veteran, or such other person, made to the United States Veterans' Bureau, United States Pension Bureau, or the proper department of the United States, for adjusted compensation, insurance, pension, compensation for disability, hospitalization, vocational training, or other benefit which such veteran may be or may have been entitled to receive under the laws of the United States.

§ 4. Said commissioner shall have a seal of office and be authorized to administer oaths to any person whose acknowledgment may become necessary in the prosecution of any claim for compensation, hospitalization, insurance or other aid or benefits; and he shall likewise be authorized and empowered to certify to the correctness of any document or documents which may be submitted in connection with any such application.

§ 5. Compensation and Expenses.] The salary of such Veterans' Service Commissioner shall be Twenty-five Hundred Dollars ($2,500.00) per annum, payable monthly on proper voucher submitted therefor to the State Auditor. He shall likewise be allowed the sum of One Thousand Twenty Dollars ($1,020.00) per annum for clerk hire, Two Hundred Thirty Dollars ($230.00) per annum for office supplies and expenses, and the sum of Eighteen Hundred Dollars ($1,800.00) per annum for expenses for travel and investigation of claims, the same to be paid monthly on war rants of the State Auditor, after proper vouchers have been filed and approved as provided by law.

§ 6. Office.] Office of said commissioner shall be located in the same city as the office of the United States Veterans' Bureau for this district ; and in the event that such Veterans' Bureau be removed from the State of North Dakota, then said commissioner's office shall be in the State Capitol at Bismarck.

§ 7. Appropriation.] For the purpose of carrying out and making effective the provisions of this act, there is hereby appropriated out of the general funds in the treasury of the State of North Dakota, not otherwise appropriated, the sum of Eleven Thousand One Hundred Dollars ($11,100.00), or so much thereof as may be necessary.

§ 8. Duration of Office.] The office of Veterans' Service Commissioner shall exist for a period of two years from the date of the passage and approval of this act. Provided, however, if any of the money appropriated hereby has not been used, the office may be continued to July 1, 1929, when the emergency for which the same was created will have expired.

§ 9. Emergency.] Whereas, the period of limitation as set by the Federal law provides that all claims for compensation, hospitalization and insurance must be proven before July 1, 1929, or be forever barred; and Whereas there are now within the State of North Dakota approximately four thousand ex-service men who have just claims for compensation, hospitalization, insurance, or other benefits which are not properly or efficiently being prosecuted owing to the fact that they are not familiar with the necessary steps and procedure, and owing to the further fact that under the laws of the United States, the Veterans' Bureau, through which such claims are presented, is estopped to assist such disabled service men in the prosecution of such claims ; and Whereas the preservation of the public peace, health and safety makes it necessary that the provisions of this act shall become operative immediately, an emergency is hereby declared to exist, and this act shall take effect and be in full force and effect from and after its passage and approval.

Approved March 7, 1927.

WORLD WAR

CHAPTER 287

(S. B. No. 116— Baird)

RECORD OF NORTH DAKOTA CITIZENS SERVING AND ACTIVE IN WORLD WAR

An Act to Provide for the Compilation, Publication and Distribution of the Record of the Citizens of North Dakota Who Rendered Military Service on Behalf of the State and Assisted in the Administration of the Selective Service Act During the World War.

Be It Enacted by the Legislative Assembly of the State of North Dakota:

§ 1. The Adjutant General of the State of North Dakota is hereby authorized and directed to compile, publish and distribute, in accordance with such rules and regulations as he may adopt, a record of the citizens of the State of North Dakota who rendered Military Service on behalf of the State and assisted in the administration of the Selective Service Act during the World War.

§ 2. The Industrial Commission of the State of North Dakota shall defray all expenses incident to carrying out the pro visions of this act out of any moneys in its hands which have accumulated through the administration of the provisions of Chapter 244 of the Laws of 1923, provided, however, that all expenditures hereunder by the Industrial Commission shall be limited to such accumulations.

§ 3. The Adjutant General and Industrial Commission shall have full power and authority to do and perform any and all acts and things which may to them seem necessary and proper for the purposes of carrying out the terms and conditions and spirit of this act.

Approved, March 3, 1927.

SOLDIER'S BONUS

CHAPTER 254

(S. B. No. 169— Baird)

LIMITATION FOR FILING SOLDIERS BONUS CLAIMS

An Act Limiting the Time in Which to File Claims Against the Returned Soldiers Fund Under the Provisions of Chapter 206, Laws of 1919, and Laws Amendatory Thereto.

Be It Enacted by the Legislative Assembly of the State of North Dakota:

§ 1. No claim under the provisions of Chapter 206, Session Laws 1919, and all acts amendatory thereto, shall be received by the Adjutant General of North Dakota on and after July 1, 1927; provided, that the prohibition mentioned in this act shall not be construed to prevent the completion of any and all claims now in the office of the Adjutant General of North Dakota, but all such, claims shall be deemed to have been filed prior to July 1, 1927.

Approved, March 3, 1927