(REPRINTED WITH ADOPTED AMENDMENTS)
"                    THIRD REPRINT       S.B. 161" 


        Senate Bill No. 161--Senator Lowden

                 January 31, 1995
                 _____________


Referred to Committee on Human Resources and Facilit
    ies


SUMMARY--Consolidates office of Nevada commissioner 
          for veteran affairs. (BDR 37-154)

FISCAL NOTE:  Effect on Local Government: No.
              Effect on the State or on Industrial Insurance: No.



EXPLANATION--Matter in italics is new; matter in bra
ckets [ ] is material to be omitted.

AN ACT relating to veterans; consolidating the separate areas of 
        authority of the Nevada commissioner for veteran affairs and 
        the Nevada deputy commissioner for veteran affairs; requiring 
        the deputy commissioner to assist the commissioner in the 
        performance of his duties; and providing other matters 
        properly relating thereto.

     THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEVADA, REPRESENTED IN SENATE
                AND ASSEMBLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:



  Section 1.  NRS 417.070 is hereby amended to 
read as follows:
  417.070  1.  The office of the commissioner must be 
located in the same city where the state [branch] 
\regional\\ office of the Department of Veterans 
Affairs maintains its state administrative bureau, and if 
[such] \that\\ office is discontinued in the State 
of Nevada, then at such place as the governor may designate.
  2.  The office of the deputy commissioner must be 
maintained at Las Vegas, Nevada.
  3.  The deputy commissioner shall [serve in his district, 
which consists of Clark, Lincoln, Nye and Esmeralda 
Counties. The commissioner shall serve the other counties of 
the state.] \assist the commissioner in performing the 
duties prescribed in this chapter.\\
  Sec. 2.  NRS 417.080 is hereby amended to read 
as follows:
  417.080  1.  The commissioner [and the deputy 
commissioner shall each be allowed:
  (a) To] \:
  (a) May\\ employ such clerical and stenographic 
assistance as [shall be] necessary.
  (b) [To] \May\\ purchase necessary office 
equipment and supplies.
  (c) [Necessary] \Is entitled to receive 
necessary\\ travel and miscellaneous administrative 
expenses in the administration of this chapter.
  2.  All clerical and stenographic services, office 
equipment and supplies, travel expenses at the same rate as 
other state officers and miscellaneous administrative 
expenses and salaries [shall] \must\\ be paid at 
the time and in the manner that similar claims and expenses 
of other state departments and officers are paid, 
[provided:] \but:\\
  (a) [That all expenses shall] \All expenses 
must\\ be within the limits of the appropriation made 
for the purposes of this chapter; and
  (b) [That the] \The\\ salaries and compensation 
of clerks and stenographers [shall] \must\\ be at 
the same rate as that provided by law for clerks and 
stenographers in other state departments.
  Sec. 3.  NRS 417.100 is hereby amended to read 
as follows:
  417.100  The commissioner and the deputy commissioner 
[each:
  1.  Shall have] \may:
  1.  Use\\ a seal of office.
  2.  [Is authorized to administer] \Administer\\ 
oaths to any person whose acknowledgment may become 
necessary in the prosecution of any claim for 
compensation, hospitalization, insurance or other aid or 
benefits.
  3.  [Is authorized to certify] \Certify\\ to the 
correctness of any document or documents which may be 
submitted in connection with any such application.
  Sec. 4.  NRS 417.200 is hereby amended to read 
as follows:
  417.200  1.  The commissioner [and the deputy 
commissioner shall each] \shall\\ establish, 
operate and maintain a veterans' cemetery \in northern 
Nevada and a veterans' cemetery in southern Nevada,\\ 
and may, within the limits of legislative authorization, 
employ personnel and purchase equipment and supplies 
necessary for the operation and maintenance of the 
cemeteries.
  2.  Any person desiring to provide voluntary services to 
further the establishment, maintenance or operation of 
either of the cemeteries shall submit a written offer to the 
commissioner [for the cemetery in northern Nevada or to the 
deputy commissioner for the cemetery in southern Nevada,] 
which describes the nature of the services. The commissioner 
[or the deputy commissioner] shall consider all such offers 
and approve those he deems appropriate. The commissioner [or 
deputy commissioner] shall coordinate the provision of all 
services so approved.
  Sec. 5.  NRS 417.210 is hereby amended to read 
as follows:
  417.210  1.  Any veteran who was eligible for interment 
in a national cemetery under the provisions of 38 U.S.C. § 
1002(1), (2), (3) and (4), as that section existed on 
January 1, 1987, is eligible for interment in a veterans' 
cemetery in this state.
  2.  Any eligible veteran, or a member of his immediate 
family, may apply for a plot in a cemetery by submitting a 
request to the commissioner or deputy commissioner on a form 
to be supplied by the commissioner or deputy commissioner. 
The commissioner [and] \or\\ the deputy 
commissioner shall assign available plots in the order in 
which applications are received. No charge may be made for 
any plot or for the interment of any veteran.
  3.  One member of the immediate family of an eligible 
veteran may also be interred in the cemetery if the 
interment is in the same plot. The commissioner or the 
deputy commissioner shall charge a fee for the interment of 
a family member, but the fee may not exceed the actual cost 
of interment.
  4.  As used in this section, "immediate family" means the 
spouse, minor child or unmarried adult child of an eligible 
veteran.
  Sec. 6.  NRS 417.230 is hereby amended to read 
as follows:
  417.230  1.  There are hereby created the advisory 
committee for a veterans' cemetery in northern Nevada and 
the advisory committee for a veterans' cemetery in southern 
Nevada, each consisting of seven members as follows:
  (a) One member of the senate, appointed by the majority 
leader of the senate.
  (b) One member of the assembly, appointed by the speaker 
of the assembly.
  (c) Five members of veterans' organizations in this state, 
appointed by the governor.
  2.  The members of the committees shall serve terms of 2 
years and each committee shall annually elect a chairman and 
a vice chairman from among its members. The committees shall 
meet at least 4 times a year [.] \, meeting jointly at 
least twice at alternate locations.\\ Any legislative 
member of a committee who is not a candidate for reelection 
or who is defeated for reelection continues to serve until 
the convening of the next session of the legislature. [The 
members of the committees are not] \While engaged in 
the work of the committee, each member of each committee 
is\\ entitled to [compensation or the payment of] 
\receive the\\ per diem allowances and travel 
expenses [while engaged in the work of the committee.] 
\provided for state officers and employees 
generally.\\
  3.  The commissioner [and deputy commissioner shall each] 
\shall\\ consult with the committee regarding the 
establishment, maintenance and operation of the veterans' 
cemetery for which the committee was created.
  Sec. 7.  Section 1 of this act becomes 
effective at 12:01 a.m. on October 1, 1995.

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