SB 24-004

Senate Bill 24-004 changes how the Colorado Department of Military and Veterans Affairs oversees local veterans offices by shifting from supervision to monitoring. It also updates how state funds are distributed to counties for veteran services and requires county commissioners to work with the department to develop a new funding method. The bill mandates that appointed county veterans service officers must meet specific military qualifications, be state-certified, and accredited by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to represent veterans in benefit claims. This bill was signed into law on March 22, 2024, and will take effect on August 7, 2024.

Official Summary

Under current law, the division of veterans affairs (division) in the department of military and veterans affairs has a duty to supervise county veterans service offices (county offices). The act changes the division's duty to instead monitor county offices. The act changes procedures for the division's payment to counties for the performance of certain veterans services, and requires the division to convene a working group that includes county commissioners to develop a method for distributing state-funded payments. Under current law, the board of county commissioners (board) appoints all veterans service officers and staff for county offices. The board is required to appoint a county veterans service officer, and may authorize the appointed county veterans service officer to hire additional county veterans service officers and staff as the board finds necessary. Under current law, a county veterans service officer is required to have certain military qualifications. The act requires only an appointed county veterans service officer to have these military qualifications. The act adds state certification and United States department of veterans affairs accreditation requirements in order to be a county veterans service officer and for a county veterans service officer to be eligible to serve as a claimant's representative and to assist a veteran claimant with the preparation, presentation, or prosecution of a claim for a United States department of veterans affairs benefit. APPROVED by Governor March 22, 2024 EFFECTIVE August 7, 2024(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

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