2023 New York Laws › VET - Veterans' Services Law › Article 1 - Department of Veterans' Services › 14 - Local Veterans' Service Agencies.

§  14.  Local  veterans' service agencies. 1. County veterans' service
agencies. There shall be established a county veterans'  service  agency
in  each  county not wholly included within a city, and there shall be a
county director of each county  veterans'  service  agency.  Any  county
director  hired  after  the  effective  date  of this chapter shall be a
veteran as defined in New York state statute. The chair of the board  of
supervisors  of a county, with the approval of the board of supervisors,
shall appoint and may at pleasure remove a county director of the county
veterans' service agency for such county. In a county  having  a  county
president,  a  county  executive  or other chief executive officer, such
president or executive officer shall appoint and may at pleasure  remove
a  county director. The county director may be paid such compensation as
shall be fixed by the appointing officer and the board  of  supervisors.
The county director shall appoint such assistants and employees as he or
she may deem necessary, other than those, if any, supplied by the state;
he  or she may prescribe the duties of those appointed by him or her and
fix their salaries within the appropriations  made  available  for  that
purpose  by the county and may at pleasure remove any such assistants or
employees. The county director shall have  jurisdiction  throughout  the
territorial  limits of the county, including any city therein which does
not have a city  veterans'  service  agency,  provided  that  after  the
establishment  of  a city veterans' service agency in any such city, the
county director shall not have jurisdiction within such city.
2. City veterans' service agency. There  may  be  established  a  city
veterans'  service  agency  in  each  city;  and  there  shall be a city
director of each city veterans' service agency which is established. The
mayor of such city, or the city manager in  a  city  of  less  than  one
hundred  forty  thousand population having a city manager, shall appoint
and may at pleasure remove the city director. A  city  director  may  be
paid  such  compensation as shall be fixed by the mayor or city manager,
as the case may be, empowered to appoint  the  city  director,  and  the
governing body of the city. The city director may appoint such deputies,
assistants  and  employees  as  he  or she may deem necessary other than
those, if any, supplied by the state; the  director  may  prescribe  the
duties  of  those  appointed by him or her and fix their salaries within
the appropriations made available for that purpose by the city  and  may
at pleasure remove any such assistant or employee. A city director shall
have jurisdiction throughout the territorial limits of the city.
3.  Accreditation.  (a)  Current county or city directors within three
years from the effective date of this subdivision shall take  all  steps
necessary  to  be  accredited  as  a veterans service organization (VSO)
representative. Accreditation shall mean the authority  granted  by  the
United  States  Department  of  Veterans  Affairs to assist veterans and
their family members in the preparation, presentation,  and  prosecution
of  claims  for benefits pursuant to section 5902 of Title 38 U.S.C. and
section 14.628  of  Title  38  Code  of  Federal  Regulations.  Once  an
application  for accreditation is approved by the General Counsel of the
United States Department  of  Veterans  Affairs  and  the  applicant  is
notified  of  this  action,  the director of the county or city veterans
service agency shall file a copy of the accreditation  certificate  from
the  appropriate  veterans service organization with the commissioner of
the department.  Such  accreditation  shall  be  maintained  during  the
duration  of  his  or  her  status  as a director of such county or city
veterans  service  agency.  The  commissioner  of  the  department   may
determine  that  satisfactory  completion  of a course or instruction on
veterans' benefits approved by the United States Department of  Veterans
Affairs  and conducted by the department may fulfill the requirements of
this subdivision.
(b) Any county or city director hired after the effective date of this
chapter shall take all steps necessary to be accredited  as  a  veterans
service organization (VSO) representative within eighteen months of such
appointment.  Accreditation  shall  mean  the  authority  granted by the
United  States  Department  of  Veterans  Affairs to assist veterans and
their family members in the preparation, presentation,  and  prosecution
of  claims  for benefits pursuant to section 5902 of Title 38 U.S.C. and
section 14.628  of  Title  38  Code  of  Federal  Regulations.  Once  an
application  for accreditation is approved by the General Counsel of the
United States Department  of  Veterans  Affairs  and  the  applicant  is
notified  of  this  action,  the director of the county or city veterans
service agency shall file a copy of the accreditation  certificate  from
the  appropriate  veterans service organization with the commissioner of
the department.  Such  accreditation  shall  be  maintained  during  the
duration  of  his  or  her  status  as a director of such county or city
veterans  service  agency.  The  commissioner  of  the  department   may
determine  that  a satisfactory completion of a course of instruction on
veterans' benefits approved by the United States Department of  Veterans
Affairs  and conducted by the department may fulfill the requirements of
this subdivision.
(c) During  the  time  a  director  is  working  toward  accreditation
pursuant  to paragraphs (a) and (b) of this subdivision, such individual
may provide services to veterans and their family members as defined  in
section   fifteen   of   this   article   other  than  the  preparation,
presentation, and prosecution  of  claims  for  benefits  under  federal
statutes and regulations.