2023 Colorado Revised Statutes › Title 28 - MILITARY AND VETERANS (§§ 28-1-101 — 28-6-101) › VETERANS (§§ 28-5-100.3 — 28-5-805) › Article 5 - VETERANS (§§ 28-5-100.3 — 28-5-805) › Part 7 - DIVISION OF VETERANS AFFAIRS (§§ 28-5-701 — 28-5-714) › Section 28-5-705 - [Effective 8/7/2024] Duties

(1)
The division, in accordance with its rules, shall perform the following duties and functions:
(a)
(I)
Formulate, establish, and administer a plan and standard procedures to further prompt and efficient service to all veterans in the state of Colorado on a uniform basis, whether by the division or by any county veterans service office;
(II)
Establish and maintain liaison with all county veterans service officers and advise them of such plan and procedures;
(III)
Make reasonable requests of such county veterans service officers for their cooperation in the execution of such plan and procedures and in the handling of veterans' cases and other matters;
(IV)
Maintain liaison with the veterans administration and other appropriate agencies of the federal government;
(V)
Provide all county veterans service officers with pertinent information, suggestions, forms, rulings, and other material in such form and in such manner as the division may deem appropriate to assist all county veterans service officers in the performance of their duties;
(VI)
Distribute to such county veterans service officers any available bulletins, manuals, pamphlets, or other appropriate material, prepared either by the division or elsewhere, for the purposes stated in this section; and
(VII)
Do such additional things, including the holding of conferences, whenever advisable, with the county veterans service officers either in their counties or in the office of the division or elsewhere and either singly or in groups, as the division may deem advisable to assist such officers in the proper performance of their duties and to keep them properly advised of current developments in the veterans' field;
(b)
Render personal service to members and former members, or the surviving spouses, administrators, executors, conservators, guardians, or heirs of members or former members, of the Colorado state defense force and the Colorado National Guard in any claim they may have against the state or federal government;
(c)
Assist all discharged members of the armed forces of the United States, the surviving spouses, administrators, executors, conservators, guardians, or heirs of any such veterans, or any other persons who may have proper claims by filing and prosecuting such claims on behalf of such persons for insurance, pensions, compensation, hospitalization, vocational training, education, loans, readjustment allowances, or any other benefits which such persons may be or may become entitled to receive under any of the laws of the United States, the state of Colorado, or any other state by reason of such service;
(d)
Cooperate with and assist veterans' organizations, county veterans service officers, veterans' advisory groups, and all other organizations, now in existence or formed on or after July 1, 1973, which provide assistance to those persons mentioned in paragraph (c) of this subsection (1);
(e)
Perform services in this state for the veterans administration on a contractual, grant, or other basis, and perform such other duties and render such other services in furtherance of the purposes of this article or any other law in providing reasonable and proper assistance to veterans;
(f)
Establish a training and certification program for newly appointed county veterans service officers. Such program shall be presented to the board for approval prior to implementation or modification.
(g)
Prepare, develop, construct, and maintain a state military veterans' cemetery pursuant to section
28-5-708
and seek reimbursement from the federal department of veterans affairs for all allowable costs for the project as permitted by federal law; and
(h)
Make reasonable efforts to notify members of the armed forces of the United States who are planning their return to civilian life and are located in Colorado, or intend to relocate to Colorado upon discharge, of the requirements in sections
12-20-202 (1)(b), (1)(d), (1)(e), (2), (3), and (4)
and
42-2-403
.
(i)
Establish a consistent and uniform process to determine whether a veteran qualifies as a discharged LGBT veteran, as described in section
28-5-103
.
Amended by 2024 Ch. 29,§ 1, eff. 8/7/2024.
Amended by 2021 Ch. 42, § 5, eff. 11/11/2021.
Amended by 2019 Ch. 136, § 206, eff. 10/1/2019.
Amended by 2016 Ch. 195, § 2, eff. 5/27/2016.
L. 2002: Entire part added with relocations, p. 347, § 3, effective July 1. L. 2016: (1)(g) amended and (1)(h) added, (SB 16-134), ch. 686, p. 686, § 2, effective May 27. L. 2019: (1)(h) amended, (HB 19-1172), ch. 1716, p. 1716, § 206, effective October 1. L. 2021: (1)(i) added, (SB 21 -026), ch. 174, p. 174, § 5, effective November 11.
This section is similar to former § 26-10-106 as it existed prior to 2002.
2024 Ch. 29, was passed without a safety clause. See Colo. Const. art. V, § 1(3).
2021 Ch. 42, was passed without a safety clause. See Colo. Const. art. V, § 1(3).
This section is set out more than once due to postponed, multiple, or conflicting amendments.
For the short title ("Restoration of Honor Act") in SB 21-026, see section 1 of chapter 42, Session Laws of Colorado 2021.