§31-5-7. State Service Commissioner - Duties generally; compensation.

(a) The State Service Commissioner shall submit to the State Board of Veterans' Affairs for its approval an annual budget of all funds appropriated by the Legislature to the department for the specific purposes for which they are appropriated, and also a budget of any federal funds which may be allotted to the state by the federal government for the purposes of the department according to the regulations of the federal authorities. He shall publish annually a full report of the operations and administration of the department, together with recommendations and suggestions, and submit such report to the state board.

(b) It shall be the duty of the state commissioner to:

(1) Prepare detailed plans for, and fully develop, a comprehensive statewide veterans' assistance program.

(2) Cooperate with all other heads of the state departments in coordinating the plans and programs of state agencies which may properly be utilized in the administration of various aspects of the problems of veterans, and dependents of veterans, such as the office of the State Adjutant General, the State Department of Education, the State Department of Pensions and Security, the State Department of Industrial Relations, the State Planning Board, the State Board of Health, and any other state agencies furnishing services to veterans.

(3) Provide a central contact between federal agencies dealing with the problems of veterans, such as the United States Veterans' Administration, the Selective Service System, the Social Security Administration, the Department of Defense and other federal agencies on the one hand, and the several state agencies which may administer the various aspects of the veterans' services and benefits on the other.

(4) Maintain central case records of all veterans seeking services or benefits to facilitate the interchange of information and case histories among the several state administrative agencies and the federal agencies to provide a clearinghouse of information.

(c) Other duties of the state commissioner shall be to:

(1) Acquaint himself, his associates, and the employees with the laws, federal, state, and local, enacted for the benefit of members of the armed forces, veterans, their families, and dependents.

(2) Collect data and information as to the facilities and services available to them, and cooperate with information or service agencies throughout the state, to inform members of the armed forces, veterans, their families, and dependents, and the military and civil authorities regarding the existence or availability of:

a. Educational training and retraining facilities.

b. Health, medical, rehabilitation, and housing services and facilities.

c. Employment and reemployment services.

d. Provisions of federal, state, and local laws affording rights, privileges and benefits to members of the armed forces, veterans, their families, and dependents.

e. Other matters of similar, relative, or appropriate natures.

(3) Aid all residents of the State of Alabama who served in the military or naval forces or other armed services of the United States during any war in which the United States has been engaged, and members of the armed services during the peace times who have been honorably discharged from such service, their relatives, beneficiaries, and dependents, to receive from the United States any and all compensation, hospitalization, insurance, education, employment, loan guarantees, or any other aid or benefit to which they may be entitled under existing laws of the United States, or such as may be hereafter enacted, and he shall perform such other duties in connection therewith as may be assigned by the state board.

(4) Cooperate and negotiate with the federal government, all national, state and local governmental, or private agencies for securing additional services or benefits for veterans, their families, and dependents who are residents of the State of Alabama.

(5) Develop and implement statewide plans for a repatriation program for proper reinterment, with appropriate honors, of the bodies of members of the armed services returned from temporary overseas cemeteries.

(6) Provide for and maintain an advisory, counselling, and assistance service for dependents of present members of the armed services in connection with dependency allotments and allowances.

(7) Disseminate information and instructions on a statewide basis pertaining to such acts as may be enacted from time to time by the Congress providing benefits for active members of the armed forces, their beneficiaries and dependents.

(8) Assist former prisoners of war and civilian internees to collect such indemnities and benefits as may be authorized by Congress from seized assets of enemy nations.

(9) Compile, publish, and distribute casualty lists resulting from the Korean and Southeast Asian actions and any subsequent hostilities and to aid survivors and dependents of such survivors and dependents of such casualties to recover all rightful benefits before or after termination of armed service.

(Acts 1945, No. 173, p. 304, §9; Acts 1951, No. 960, p. 1632.)