AS Title 44, Chapter 35: Department of Military and Veterans' Affairs

Article 1. Department Functions; Memorials and Cemeteries. Chapter 35. Department of Military and Veterans' Affairs. Sec. 44.35.010. Adjutant general. The principal executive officer of the Department of Military and Veterans' Affairs is the adjutant general. Sec. 44.35.020. Duties and powers of department. (a) The Department of Military and Veterans' Affairs shall (1) conduct the military affairs of the state as prescribed by AS 26.05 ; (2) cooperate with the federal government in matters of mutual concern pertaining to the welfare of Alaska veterans, including establishing, extending, or strengthening services for veterans in the state; (3) annually, not later than February 1, make available a report to the legislature, through the governor, outlining the department's activities during the previous calendar year; the department shall notify the legislature that the report is available; and (4) cooperate with the Department of Public Safety to develop and implement missing vulnerable adult prompt response and notification plans under AS 44.41.060 . (b) The Department of Military and Veterans' Affairs may administer training and pre-employment training programs. (c) The Department of Military and Veterans' Affairs may establish and operate the Alaska Military Youth Academy as part of the National Guard Youth Challenge Program established under 32 U.S.C. 509 to assist in intervening in and reclaiming the lives of at-risk youth in the state and to produce graduates of the program with the values, skills, education, and self-discipline necessary to succeed as adults. Sec. 44.35.025. Military and veteran family help desk. (a) The military and veteran family help desk is created in the Department of Military and Veterans' Affairs. (b) The military and veteran family help desk shall (1) provide a central point of contact for military members, veterans, and their families seeking information, resources, and state services; (2) provide information about state statutes, regulations, and court decisions to military members, veterans, and their families; (3) cooperate with the University of Alaska to research issues military members, veterans, and their families may be facing; (4) in coordination with local veteran service organizations, agencies, and nonprofit organizations, identify and address the needs of military members, veterans, and their families, facilitate coordination and communication to enhance the range and quality of services, streamline the delivery of services, and share data and information for improving services for military members, veterans, and their families; (5) in coordination with military installations, federal departments that operate branches of the military, municipalities, and other departments of the state, provide recommendations to the department for improving assistance to military members, veterans, and their families relating to issues including workforce development, employment, physical and behavioral health, education, and access to child care; (6) in coordination with the Department of Labor and Workforce Development, the Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development, and other professional licensing entities, reduce barriers to employment for the spouses of military members; (7) upon request, assist a municipality with close economic or community ties to a military installation in creating a military and veteran family liaison; and (8) provide an annual report to the adjutant general. (c) In this section, (1) “family member” means a person related to a military member or veteran by blood, marriage, or adoption, and a person living in the military member's or veteran's household on a permanent basis; (2) “military” means the armed forces of the United States, the United States Coast Guard, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Commissioned Officer Corps, the United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, or the Alaska National Guard. Sec. 44.35.030. Construction of memorials to Alaska veterans. The Department of Military and Veterans' Affairs may construct memorials to Alaska veterans. A memorial constructed under this section is not subject to AS 35.15 or AS 35.27 . Sec. 44.35.035. Alaska veterans' cemeteries. (a) The department may, subject to the requirements of 38 U.S.C. 2408, establish and maintain Alaska veterans' cemeteries in the state to serve state veterans and spouses and eligible dependents of state veterans. (b) The department may accept gifts, donations, and grants, including land, under AS 26.10.030 for the purpose of establishing and maintaining Alaska veterans' cemeteries. Land received by the department for an Alaska veterans' cemetery shall be owned by the state. (c) The department shall, in consultation with the Alaska Veterans' Advisory Council, (1) receive the plot or interment allowance on behalf of the state under 38 U.S.C. 2303; (2) comply with all requirements for a state veterans' cemetery grant established by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs under 38 U.S.C. 2408; and (3) apply to the United States Department of Veterans Affairs for state veterans' cemetery grants under 38 U.S.C. 2408. (d) The department may (1) adopt regulations necessary to administer Alaska veterans' cemeteries; (2) enter into agreements with political subdivisions of the state and other persons for the maintenance and operation of Alaska veterans' cemeteries; and (3) solicit gifts, donations, and grants in addition to a state veterans' cemetery grant in (c) of this section that may be designated for the establishment and maintenance of an Alaska veterans' cemetery and received by the department under AS 26.10.030 . (e) In this section, “department” means the Department of Military and Veterans' Affairs. Sec. 44.35.040. Fees for certain training. The Department of Military and Veterans' Affairs may adopt regulations establishing reasonable fees for training provided by the department to persons relating to the transportation, storage, or other management of hazardous substances, and establishing procedures for the collection of the fees. Article 2. Alaska Veterans Advisory Council. Sec. 44.35.105. Alaska Veterans Advisory Council. There is created in the Department of Military and Veterans' Affairs the Alaska Veterans Advisory Council. Sec. 44.35.110. Purpose. The council shall advise the Department of Military and Veterans' Affairs and, through the governor, other departments and agencies of the state on matters concerning state veterans, their dependents, and their survivors. Sec. 44.35.120. Duties. (a) The council shall annually make recommendations to the governor and the Department of Military and Veterans' Affairs concerning the needs of and benefits for the state's veterans, for developing public and private partnerships to meet those needs, for providing information regarding veterans' benefits and services, for improving recognition of state veterans, and on other matters concerning state veterans, their dependents, and their survivors. (b) The council shall hold meetings and establish committees and internal procedures as necessary and appropriate to carry out its duties. Meetings shall be held quarterly or less frequently as the council determines is appropriate. To the extent possible, the council shall use teleconferencing or other electronic means to minimize the costs of meeting and to maximize public participation. Sec. 44.35.130. Composition. (a) The council consists of 13 members who are appointed by and serve at the pleasure of the governor. The council shall include one or more persons from a veterans organization, one or more persons from a state agency that manages programs affecting veterans, and one or more persons from the general public who are familiar with veterans' issues. (b) Members of the council who are not state officers or employees are appointed for staggered three-year terms and serve until a successor is appointed. A member appointed to fill a vacancy on the council serves for the remainder of the unexpired term of the member whose vacancy is being filled. (c) The council shall elect a chair from among its members who are not state officers or employees. Sec. 44.35.140. Compensation, per diem, and expenses. Members of the council receive no salary as council members. Members of the council who are not state officers or employees are entitled to per diem and travel expenses authorized by law for other boards and commissions. Article 3. General Provisions. Sec. 44.35.900. Definition. In this chapter, “veteran” includes a person who served in the Alaska Territorial Guard.