                                 CODE OF VIRGINIA

ADMINISTRATIVE RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE DEPARTMENT; ANNUAL REPORT (§ 2.2-2001)

A. The Department shall be responsible to the Secretary of Veterans and Defense
Affairs on behalf of the Governor for the establishment, operation,
administration, and maintenance of offices and programs related to services for
Virginia-domiciled veterans of the Armed Forces of the United States and their
eligible spouses, orphans, and dependents. Such services shall include, but not
be limited to, benefits claims processing and all medical care centers and
cemeteries for veterans owned and operated by the Commonwealth.
			Subject to the availability of sufficient nongeneral fund revenues,
including, but not limited to, private donations and federal funds, the
Department shall work in concert with applicable state and federal agencies to
develop and deploy an automated system for the electronic preparation of
veterans&#8217; disability claims that ensures the collection of the necessary
information to expedite processing of Virginia veterans&#8217; disability
claims. The Department&#8217;s development and deployment work shall be
appropriately phased to minimize risk and shall include an initial replacement
of the Department&#8217;s existing case management technology, which replacement
is required to support highly sophisticated electronic claims preparation. The
Commissioner shall ensure that the system is efficient and statutorily
compliant.

B. 1. From such funds as may be appropriated or otherwise received for such
purpose, the Department shall provide burial vaults at cost to eligible veterans
and their family members interred at state-operated veterans cemeteries.

   2. From such funds as may be appropriated or otherwise received for such
   purpose, the Commonwealth shall pay any burial fee charged for the burial of
   (i) a member of the National Guard and Reserve or (ii) a deceased spouse of a
   member or veteran of the United States Armed Forces or of the National Guard
   and Reserve, regardless of whether such spouse&#8217;s death precedes or
   succeeds the death of the member or veteran, at a state-operated veterans
   cemetery. The Department shall develop guidelines concerning the
   administration of this subsection.

C. The Department shall establish guidelines for the determination of
eligibility for Virginia-domiciled veterans and their spouses, orphans, and
dependents for participation in programs and benefits administered by the
Department. Such guidelines shall meet the intent of the federal statutes and
regulations pertaining to the administration of federal programs supporting U.S.
Armed Forces veterans and their spouses, orphans, and dependents.

D. The Department shall adopt reasonable regulations to implement a program to
certify, upon request of the small business owner, that he holds a
&#8220;service disabled veteran&#8221; status.

E. The Department shall submit an annual report through the Secretary of
Veterans and Defense Affairs to the Governor and the General Assembly on or
before December 1 of each year and other reports to the Secretary as required by
the Secretary. The annual report to the Governor and the General Assembly shall
be submitted for publication as a report document as provided in the procedures
of the Division of Legislative Automated Systems for the processing of
legislative documents and reports and shall be posted on the General
Assembly&#8217;s website.

HISTORY: 2003, cc. 657, 670; 2007, c. 787; 2008, cc. 467, 521, 767, 768; 2009,
c. 62; 2010, cc. 84, 554; 2011, cc. 772, 847; 2012, cc. 803, 835; 2013, c. 234;
2018, c. 648; 2023, cc. 366, 367.