Veterans' Affairs

Ark. Code Ann. tit. 20, ch. 81

in effect

Ark. Code Ann. § 20-81-101 Arkansas Veterans' Child Welfare Service.

(a)(1) There is established the Arkansas Veterans' Child Welfare Service. (2) The Arkansas Veterans’ Child Welfare Service shall be under the direction of a director to be named by the Governor upon written recommendation by the governing body of the American Legion — Department of Arkansas Foundation, Inc. (3) The Director of the Arkansas Veterans' Child Welfare Service shall serve at the pleasure of the Governor. (4) The director shall report to the Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs. (b)(1) The Arkansas Veterans’ Child Welfare Service shall establish a program of furnishing temporary and interim welfare and rehabilitation services and assistance for minor children of honorably discharged Arkansas veterans who are deceased or medically incapacitated. (2) The Arkansas Veterans’ Child Welfare Service is authorized to enter into contracts and agreements with one (1) or more veterans' organizations in this state, with private individuals or corporations, or with the United States Government for the sharing of facilities or services and for the administration of funds in furtherance of veterans' child welfare services. (c) Funds granted to the Arkansas Veterans’ Child Welfare Service, other than state-appropriated funds, may be deposited into one (1) or more bank accounts in banks in this state and shall be administered in accordance with purposes for which the funds were granted as authorized in this section.

Ark. Code Ann. § 20-81-104 Arkansas Veterans' Commission.

(a) The Arkansas Veterans' Commission is established to: (1) Serve as the advisory body for the Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs; (2) Serve as a liaison between the Department of Veterans Affairs and a chartered nonprofit veterans organization in this state, including without limitation the: (A) American Legion; (B) Department of Arkansas, Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States; (C) Disabled American Veterans; and (D) Arkansas Veteran’s Coalition, Inc.; (3) Promote and advance the interests of Arkansas veterans by meeting and acting as an advisory board to the General Assembly on all matters affecting Arkansas veterans, their dependents, and survivors, including without limitation by meeting with the members of the House Legislative, Military and Veterans Affairs Permanent Subcommittee of the House Committee on Aging, Children and Youth, Legislative and Military Affairs; and (4) Gather information and data to help improve the operation and efficiency of the veterans' homes established under § 20-81-105 and a state veterans' cemetery established under § 20-81-112 by consulting with and coordinating with veterans' commissions in other states. (b)(1) The Arkansas Veterans' Commission shall be composed of fifteen (15) members, who shall be appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the Senate. (2) Members of the Arkansas Veterans' Commission shall serve for five-year overlapping terms. (3) The Arkansas Veterans' Commission shall annually elect its chair from among its membership. (4)(A) Members of the Arkansas Veterans' Commission may receive expense reimbursement and stipends in accordance with § 25-16-901 et seq. (B)(i) Members of the Arkansas Veterans' Commission are also authorized to attend conventions, conferences, or meetings of recognized veterans' organizations, herein defined as veterans' organizations listed in the current United States Department of Veterans Affairs Directory of Veterans and Military Service Organizations as meeting the criteria of 38 C.F.R § 14.628, and are entitled to reimbursement for expenses incurred in attending those conventions, conferences, or meetings in accordance with procedures and limits prescribed by law or regulation for state employees. (ii) However, a member of the Arkansas Veterans' Commission shall not be entitled to reimbursement of the expenses authorized in subdivision (b)(4)(B)(i) of this section unless the reimbursement is approved in advance by the Chair of the Arkansas Veterans' Commission and the secretary. (C)(i) A member of the Arkansas Veterans' Commission shall not receive more than one thousand dollars ($1,000) during any fiscal year for stipends and reimbursement of expenses incurred as a member of the Arkansas Veterans' Commission unless: (a) Another member of the Arkansas Veterans' Commission claims less than one thousand dollars ($1,000) in stipends and reimbursement of expenses during the fiscal year; and (b) The chair, subject to the approval of the secretary, authorizes the transfer of the unclaimed funds authorized by subdivision (b)(4)(C)(i)(a) of this section to another member of the Arkansas Veterans' Commission to be used for stipends and reimbursement expenses incurred over the authorized one thousand dollars ($1,000). (ii) However, a member of the Arkansas Veterans' Commission shall not receive more than two thousand five hundred dollars ($2,500) in stipends and reimbursement of expenses in any fiscal year. (c) The Arkansas Veterans' Commission shall make recommendations to the secretary for the operation and improvement of the efficiency of the veterans' homes established under § 20-81-105 and the state veterans' cemetery system established under § 20-81-112. (d) Quarterly meetings of the Arkansas Veterans' Commission are authorized at the call of the chair.

Ark. Code Ann. § 20-81-105 Veterans' homes.

(a) The Department of Veterans Affairs is authorized to establish and maintain one (1) or more veterans' homes at locations selected by the Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs, after seeking advice from the Arkansas Veterans' Commission. (b) The department is authorized to employ staff to operate the veterans' homes as it deems appropriate and as authorized by biennial appropriation. (c)(1) Each veterans' home shall be operated under the supervision of the department. (2) The secretary shall be the administrative head of the veterans' homes. (3) The secretary may delegate the administration of each veterans' home to an employee of the department. (d)(1) The department shall promulgate appropriate guidelines for determining eligibility of veterans for admission to a veterans' home and the monetary charges to be made for veterans residing in a veterans' home. All guidelines shall conform to the federal requirements to qualify veterans' homes as nursing homes for veterans and to render the veterans' homes eligible to receive federal financial assistance. (2)(A) Notwithstanding the provisions of § 20-8-101 et seq., the veterans' homes may be used as nursing homes for veterans without obtaining a certificate of need. (B) Bed capacity shall not exceed two hundred twenty (220) beds. (e) In the administration of the veterans' homes, the secretary is authorized to do the following: (1) Establish accounts to record the receipt and disbursement of funds from resident veterans to pay for a portion of their maintenance at a veterans' home; (2) Develop policies for determining charges to be made to resident veterans; (3) Develop accounts and procedures pertaining to incompetent residents; (4) Establish procedures and accounts for payment by a veteran's home to its residents for work performed at the veterans' home; (5) Establish such other accounts as are necessary to the orderly administration of the veterans' homes; and (6) Establish policies necessary for the operation of the veterans' homes. (f) At the end of each fiscal year, the secretary shall certify to the Chief Fiscal Officer of the State the amount of nonrevenues to be retained in the Miscellaneous Agencies Fund Account. All other moneys shall be transferred to the General Revenue Allotment Reserve Fund according to existing laws.

Ark. Code Ann. § 20-81-106 County programs.

(a)(1) The Department of Veterans Affairs is authorized to establish, implement, and maintain a program for providing financial assistance to the counties to assist the counties in paying the salaries and expenses of county veterans' service officers. (2) Any program established and maintained by the Department of Veterans Affairs shall provide for financial assistance to applying counties on the basis of one dollar ($1.00) of state funds for each two dollars ($2.00) of county funds provided for the payment of the salary and expenses of the particular veterans' service officer of the applying county. (3)(A) Except as provided in subdivision (a)(3)(B) of this section, a county shall not receive financial assistance under the provisions of this act in excess of three thousand six hundred dollars ($3,600) in any fiscal year. (B) However, the financial assistance to counties under this section may be increased to a maximum of four thousand eight hundred dollars ($4,800) per year for those counties wherein the veteran population exceeds two thousand five hundred (2,500) veterans as reflected by the latest United States Department of Veterans Affairs report on veteran population. (b)(1) In addition to the financial assistance provided under this act, the Department of Veterans Affairs may provide an additional incentive payment of five hundred dollars ($500) per quarter of the fiscal year to counties that ensure the county's veteran's service officers obtain or maintain accreditation by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs. (2) In addition to the financial assistance provided under this act, the Department of Veterans Affairs may provide an additional incentive payment of five hundred dollars ($500) per quarter of the fiscal year to counties that ensure the county's veteran's service officers obtain or maintain access to and proficiency in the United States Department of Veteran Affairs' Veterans Benefits Management System. (c) Assistance grants under this section may be made only to those counties employing a county veterans' service officer who meets the training and testing qualifications, scheduled number of work hours per month, and other qualifications prescribed by the Department of Veterans Affairs for county veterans' service officers. (d)(1) The county veterans' service officers shall serve at the pleasure of the individual incumbent county judge in his or her respective county. (2) However, supervision, training, and testing of county veterans' service officers shall be the responsibility of the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Ark. Code Ann. § 20-81-107 Gifts, volunteer services, etc.

(a) The Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs is authorized to arrange for and accept through such mutual arrangement as may be made the volunteer services, equipment, gifts, facilities, properties, supplies, and personnel of any state, county, and municipal offices and agencies and of veterans' fraternal, welfare, civic, and service organizations in the furtherance of the purposes of this act. (b) The secretary may accept on behalf of the department from any natural person or legal entity the donation of real property for use as a cemetery for the interment of Arkansas veterans of the United States Armed Forces and their immediate next of kin as defined by the department. (c) The secretary may accept on behalf of the department from any source the donation of gifts, grants, cash, bequeaths, real or personal property, and equipment for the establishment, construction, maintenance, and operations of any state-owned and state-operated veterans' home.

Ark. Code Ann. § 20-81-108 Action by municipal governing bodies.

(a) County quorum courts, city councils, and other municipal governing bodies are authorized to appropriate money for the purpose of maintaining county and municipal offices jointly with the Department of Veterans Affairs, on either a full-time or part-time basis. (b) All offices shall be under the supervision of the Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs, and all work of the offices shall be coordinated with the department.

Ark. Code Ann. § 20-81-109 Cooperation of other state agencies.

It shall be the duty of all state, county, and municipal offices and agencies legally concerned with and interested in the welfare of veterans and their dependents to cooperate with the Department of Veterans Affairs in carrying out the purposes of this act.

Ark. Code Ann. § 20-81-111 Entitlement of all veterans to privileges.

The soldiers, sailors, and Marines who were disabled in military service during the World Wars, Korean War, and Vietnam War and the dependents of the soldiers, sailors, and Marines are entitled to the same privileges as are now enjoyed by all other veterans.

Ark. Code Ann. § 20-81-112 State veterans' cemetery system.

(a) The Department of Veterans Affairs is authorized to establish and maintain a state veterans' cemetery system to serve the veterans, spouses, and eligible dependents of the veterans of Arkansas. (b) The department may: (1) Employ staff to operate the cemetery system; (2) Charge a fee for each interment of an eligible spouse or dependent of a veteran not to exceed the current United States Department of Veterans Affairs interment benefit allowance under 38 U.S.C. § 2303(b)(1), as existing on February 1, 2021; and (3) At the request of a family member, charge a fee for each disinterment of a veteran, eligible spouse, or dependent of a veteran not to exceed the current United States Department of Veterans Affairs interment benefit allowance under 38 U.S.C. § 2303(b)(1), as existing on February 1, 2021. (c) The department shall: (1) Promulgate appropriate guidelines for determining eligibility for burial; (2) Establish accounts as are necessary to the orderly administration of the cemetery system; (3) Develop plans and programs which will provide for initial establishment of sites to meet the greatest need and provide for their orderly expansion; and (4) Make applications to federal agencies such as the United States Department of Veterans Affairs and receive federal funding as is available to establish and operate this cemetery system.

Ark. Code Ann. § 20-81-113 Uniform data collection system.

(a) The Department of Veterans Affairs may establish a uniform data collection system to locate veterans and military families to determine need and direct appropriate services to veterans and military families in this state. (b)(1) All instrumentalities of state government shall: (A) Cooperate with the department to implement the system; (B) Supply the information requested by the department to implement the system; and (C) Ask each applicant for, and recipient of, government services if he or she has ever served in the United States Armed Forces. (2) If an applicant for, or a recipient of, government services states that he or she has served in the United States Armed Forces, the instrumentality of state government shall: (A) Attempt to collect all information requested by the department to be collected; and (B) Provide the information obtained to the department. (c) The department shall promulgate rules to implement this section.

Source: Public.Resource.Org / UniCourt, Official Code of Arkansas Annotated, Release 78 (2020) (unicourt.github.io/cic-code-ar)URL: https://unicourt.github.io/cic-code-ar/transforms/ar/ocar/r78/gov.ar.code.title.20.htmlFetched: 11/8/2026