State

1. An applicant may not be admitted to the veterans' home unless the applicant is a bona fide resident of this state preceding the applicant's application for admission. The residency requirement may be waived if the applicant served in a North Dakota regiment or was accredited to this state.

2. The spouse or surviving spouse of those mentioned in subsection 1 of section 37-15-02 may be admitted upon the same footing as the veteran.

The administrator of the veterans' home shall appoint all necessary subordinate officers of the home. In the appointment of the officers, the preference afforded by chapter 37-19.1 must be given to those persons who qualify for the preference. The administrator shall fix the compensation of all subordinate officers, subject to legislative appropriation, and any officer may be removed by the administrator for inefficiency or misconduct.

The appointment, qualifications, term of office, and salary of the administrator of the veterans' home must be as prescribed in section 37-18.1-03. The administrative committee on veterans' affairs may designate the administrator as commandant of the veterans' home if the administrator is an honorably discharged veteran.

The general supervision and government of the veterans' home is vested in the administrative committee on veterans' affairs.

The object of the veterans' home is to provide basic care as defined under chapter 23-09.3 and long-term care as defined under chapter 23-16 for:

1. All veterans as defined in section 37-01-40 and all honorably discharged soldiers of the North Dakota national guard who heretofore or hereafter may become permanently disabled from any cause while in line and discharge of duty.

2. The spouses and surviving spouses of those mentioned in subsection 1 if they meet the requirements for admission under section 37-15-10.

A veterans' home must be maintained at the city of Lisbon in the county of Ransom.

The department of veterans' affairs may grant or refuse an application for relief or assistance from financial assistance programs under the control of the department under policies set by the administrative committee on veterans' affairs. The committee shall adopt and establish an appeal process. The department's decisions are appealable to an appeals committee appointed by the chairman of the administrative committee. A hearing before the appeals committee may be closed upon request of the applicant.

The department of veterans' affairs may expend for any purpose necessary to the proper administration of this chapter sums not to exceed the amount appropriated therefor by the legislative assembly. Vouchers must be issued in the manner provided in this chapter.

The administrative committee on veterans' affairs may make and promulgate such reasonable rules and regulations as may be necessary and proper to administer the provisions of this chapter relating to the veterans' aid fund. In any hearings or action taken under the provisions of this chapter, the provisions of chapter 28-32 do not apply.

The department of veterans' affairs shall keep full records and files of all transactions, applications, advancements, and business pertaining to the veterans' aid fund. The department may submit a biennial report to the governor and the secretary of state in accordance with section 54-06-04.