VETERANS AID COMMISSION
CHAPTER 269
H. B. No. 94--(Committee on Appropriations)
VETERANS AID COMMISSION
An Act creating. ·a· Veteran's Aid Commission, specifying- its powers and duties; and appropriating the sum of $75,000.00 as a Veteran's Aid Fund and providing for the manner of its use and defining those entitled to aid from such Fund, and declaring an emergency.
Be It Enacted by the Legislative Assembly of the State of North Dakota:
§ I. There is hereby created and established a Veteran's Aid Commission consisting of three members to be appointed by the Governor of North Dakota each of which members shall have been a member of the armed forces of the United States during a time when a state of war shall have been declared to exist by the Congress of the United States. The Veteran's Service Commissioner, as defined by law, shall be and serve as the Executive Secretary of the Veteran's Aid Commission.
§ 2. The term of office of the members of the Veteran's Aid Commission shall expire on June 30, 1945 and any member of the Commission 1nay be at any time removed by the Governor for reasonable cause.
§ 3. There is hereby appropriated out of any moneys in the State Treasury, not otherwise appropriated, the sum of $75,000.00 to be kept by the State Treasurer in a separate trust fund to be known as the Veteran's Aid Fund, disbursement from which shall be made as provided in this Act.
§ 4. It is the purpose of this Act to provide and establish such Veteran's Aid· Fund so that advancements may be made to honorably discharged veterans of the armed forces of the United States who are physically or mentally disabled or-incapacitated during the period when such veteran is waiting for relief from such other agency as may provide for relief to such veteran, either from the United States Government or any agency or instrumentality thereof, or any other agency established for the relief of Veterans.
§ 5. Any veteran who has made application to any other agency for relief, compensation, or assistance, may make application to the Veteran's Aid Commission as established by this Act in such form as the Veteran's Aid Commission may provide, for assistance and relief predicated upon his inability to care for himself and his dependents during the pendency of such other claim for relief or assistance.
§ 6. If the Veteran's Aid Commission is satisfied by such proof as they may require that such an applicant is an honorably discharged member of the armed forces of the United States, and that he served as a member of such armed forces for an aggregate time of thirty pays during the time when the United States was at war and that he is at the time of making such application, physically or mentally disabled and that he requires interim assistance pending
the action upon his application for relief or assistance to some other agency, and that he is at the time of making such application, a citizen and resident of the State of North Dakota, the Veteran's Aid Commission may advance to such applicant or a guardian of such applicant, a sum from the Veteran's Aid Fund not to exceed the sum of $50.00 per month for a period not to exceed six months.
§ 7. That upon the granting of such an application and at the time of such disbursement, the applicant, or his legally appointed guardian, shall be required to execute an agreement with the Veteran's Aid Commission, that he will within a period of two years from the date· oi the receipt of the last item of such advancement, repay to the State of North Dakota for the use of said Veteran's Aid Fund the full amount of all advancements made to him without interest.
§ 8. That for the purpose of disbursing such advancements from the Veteran's Aid Fund, the Veteran's Aid Commission may issue warrants drawn upon the Veteran's Aid Fund and directed to the State Treasurer of North Dakota, to be signed by the Executive Secretary of the Veteran's Aid Commission pursuant to the direction of such Commission, and upon presenting of such a warrant, the State Treasurer shall pay the amount thereof in cash to the payee of said warrant and charge the same against the Veteran's Aid Fund. It is further provided, that it shall not be necessary for any such claims or vouchers to be audited or countersigned by any other official or board of the State of North Dakota.
§ 9. The Veteran's Aid Commission shall keep full records and files of all transactions, applications, advancements and business of the Commission and shall present to the next Legislative Assembly of this State, a full and complete audit and report of all its business and the disbursement made from, and repayments made to, such Veteran's Aid Fund.
§ IO. The Veteran's Aid Commission may make and promulgate such reasonable rules and regulations as may be necessary and proper to administer this Act- and in any hearings or action taken shall not be subject to the provisions of Chapter 240, Session Laws of 1941.
§ II. It is further provided, that the Veteran's Aid Commission may expend for any purposes necessary to the proper administration of this Act sums not to exceed an aggregate of $1000, and tor the items of such sum so expended, vouchers shall be issued in the manner hereinbefore provided.
§ 12. That the Veteran's Aid Commission shall have full and sole power, authority and jurisdiction over the granting or refusal of applications for relief or assistance from the Veteran's Aid Fund and all of its decisions shall be final.
§ 13. That the members of the Veteran's Aid Commission shall receive no salaries or remuneration for their services in the administration of this Act except their actual expenses in the travel to, from and during their attendance at meetings of the Veteran's Aid Commission, such expenses to be repaid by a Voucher issued and drawn as hereinbefore provided, based upon itemized vouchers sworn to by the members of such Commission.
§ 14. Whereas, there are already returning to this State, residents who come within the requirements of this Act and who need the assistance provided by this Act, an Emergency is declared to exist and this Act shall be effective from and after the date of its passage and approval.
Approved March 18, 1943.