Veteran service officers., the official text

First Regular Session of the 124th General Assembly (2025)

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between statutes enacted by the 2024 Regular Session of the General Assembly.

  SENATE ENROLLED ACT No. 433

   AN ACT to amend the Indiana Code concerning public safety.

   Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Indiana:

   SECTION 1. IC 10-17-1-2, AS AMENDED BY P.L.113-2010,
SECTION 73, IS AMENDED TO READ AS FOLLOWS [EFFECTIVE
JULY 1, 2025]: Sec. 2. (a) The Indiana department of veterans' affairs
is established. The:

      (1) department;
      (2) commission;
      (3) director of veterans' affairs;
      (4) county and city officers; and
      (5) assistants and employees of persons described in subdivisions
      (1) through (4);
acting under the supervision of and under the rules of the department
may act at the request of any veteran of the armed forces or a veteran's
spouse, surviving spouse, or dependent as necessary or reasonably
incident to obtaining or attempting to obtain for the person making the
request any advantage, benefit, or compensation accruing, due, or
believed to be accruing or due to the person under any law of the
United States, Indiana, or any other state or government by reason of
the service of the veteran in the armed forces of the United States.
   (b) The:
      (1) commission shall supervise and control the department; and
      (2) director of veterans' affairs shall administer the department
      under the commission's supervision and control;

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as provided in this article.
   (c) (b) The domicile of the department is shall be in Indianapolis.

Suitable offices and quarters shall be provided in Indianapolis.
   SECTION 2. IC 10-17-1-2.5 IS ADDED TO THE INDIANA CODE

AS A NEW SECTION TO READ AS FOLLOWS [EFFECTIVE JULY
1, 2025]: Sec. 2.5. The:

      (1) department;
      (2) commission;
      (3) director;
      (4) county and city service officers; and
      (5) assistants and employees of persons described in
      subdivisions (1) through (4);
may act at the request of any veteran of the armed forces or a
veteran's spouse, surviving spouse, or dependent as necessary to
obtain or attempt to obtain for the person making the request any
advantage, benefit, or compensation accruing, due, or believed to
be accruing or due to the person under any law of the United
States, the state, or any other state or government by reason of the
service of the veteran in the armed forces of the United States.
   SECTION 3. IC 10-17-1-4, AS AMENDED BY P.L.42-2020,
SECTION 1, IS AMENDED TO READ AS FOLLOWS [EFFECTIVE
JULY 1, 2025]: Sec. 4. The commission shall do acts necessary or
reasonably incident to the fulfillment of the purposes of this chapter,
including the following:
      (1) Adopt rules under IC 4-22-2 to administer this chapter.
      (2) Advise the veterans' state service officer in problems
      concerning the welfare of veterans.
      (3) Determine general administrative policies within the
      department.
      (4) Supervise the department.
      (4) Establish standards for certification of state, county, and city
      service officers.
      (5) Not later than January 1, 2026, establish standards for
      accreditation under section 10 of this chapter and administer
      a written examination for renewal of the certification of for state,
      county, and city service officers.
      (6) Establish procedures to identify and address
      noncompliance with accreditation standards consistent with
      the requirements set forth in section 10 of this chapter.
      (6) (7) Submit, not later than December 31 of each year, an
      annual report to the legislative council in an electronic format
      under IC 5-14-6 and to the governor concerning the welfare of

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      veterans.
   SECTION 4. IC 10-17-1-6, AS AMENDED BY P.L.42-2020,
SECTION 3, IS AMENDED TO READ AS FOLLOWS [EFFECTIVE
JULY 1, 2025]: Sec. 6. (a) The director of veterans' affairs:

      (1) is the executive and administrative head of the Indiana
      department of veterans' affairs; and
      (2) shall direct and supervise the administrative and technical
      activities of the department;
subject to the general supervision of the commission.
   (b) The duties of the director include the following:
      (1) To attend all meetings of the commission and to act as
      secretary and keep minutes of the commission's proceedings.
      (2) To appoint the employees of the department necessary to carry
      out this chapter and to fix the compensation of the employees.
      Employees of the department must qualify for the job concerned.
      (3) To carry out the program for veterans' affairs as directed by
      the governor and the commission.
      (4) To carry out the administrative functions concerning
      accreditation standards established in sections 4 and 10 of this
      chapter. on field direction, inspection, and coordination of county
      and city service officers as provided in this chapter.
      (5) To prepare and conduct service officer training schools with
      the voluntary aid and assistance of the service staffs of the major
      veterans' organizations.
      (6) To maintain an information bulletin service to county and city
      service officers for the necessary dissemination of material
      pertaining to all phases of veterans' rehabilitation and service
      work, including information necessary to inform veterans of the
      provisions of IC 22-9-10.
      (7) To conduct, or select a designee to conduct, biannual
      public meetings with the executive of each county to provide
      necessary information regarding outstanding claims and
      answer questions from veterans. The biannual meetings are
      subject to the notice requirements in IC 5-3-1.
      (7) (8) To perform the duties described in IC 10-17-11 for the
      Indiana state veterans' cemetery.
      (8) (9) To perform the duties described in IC 10-17-12 for the
      military family relief fund.
      (9) (10) To establish a program and set guidelines under which a
      medal of honor recipient may receive compensation when
      attending and participating in official ceremonies.
   SECTION 5. IC 10-17-1-9, AS AMENDED BY P.L.42-2020,

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SECTION 4, IS AMENDED TO READ AS FOLLOWS [EFFECTIVE
JULY 1, 2025]: Sec. 9. (a) Subject to subsection (h), a county
executive shall employ a service officer and may employ service
officer assistants to serve the veterans of the county. However, with
the approval of the commission, two (2) or more counties may
enter into an agreement to employ a service officer if each county
demonstrates to the commission that the workload does not justify
each county employing a separate county service officer.

      (1) shall designate and may:
         (A) appoint a county service officer for a four (4) year term; or
         (B) employ a county service officer; and

      (2) may employ service officer assistants;
to serve the veterans of the county.

   (b) Subject to subsection (h), the mayor of a city may employ a
service officer and may employ service officer assistants to serve the
veterans of the city.

   (c) If the remuneration and expenses of a county or city service
officer are paid from the funds of the county or city employing the
service officer, The service officer shall:

      (1) be:
         (A) an honorably discharged veteran who has at least six (6)
         months of active service in the armed forces of the United
         States; or
         (B) a service officer assistant with not less than two (2) years
         of experience; and

      (2) be a resident of Indiana or become a resident of Indiana not
      more than six (6) months after the service officer's start date. and
      (3) serve under the supervision of the director of veterans' affairs.
   (d) A service officer assistant must be a resident of Indiana or
become a resident of Indiana not later than six (6) months after the
service officer assistant's start date and:
      (1) satisfy the requirements specified in subsection (c)(1); or
      (2) be the spouse, surviving spouse, parent, or child of a person
      who satisfies the requirements specified in subsection (c)(1).
   (e) A rule contrary to subsection (c) or (d) is void.
   (f) County and city fiscal bodies may appropriate funds necessary
for the purposes described in this section.
   (g) Every county or city official and department of the county
or city shall cooperate with the service officer and shall provide the
service officer with information necessary in connection with the
performance of the service officer's duties. Nothing in this
subsection shall be construed to require a county or city to share

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information that is otherwise considered confidential in accordance
with law.

   (h) After June 30, 2026, a service officer must be accredited by
the department in order to provide service to veterans on behalf of
the county or city.

   SECTION 6. IC 10-17-1-10, AS AMENDED BY P.L.42-2020,
SECTION 5, IS AMENDED TO READ AS FOLLOWS [EFFECTIVE
JULY 1, 2025]: Sec. 10. (a) Within thirty (30) days of their
appointment, employment, new county or city service officers must
attend a new service officer orientation presented by the Indiana
department of veterans' affairs and, according to the standards
established under section 4(4) of this chapter, become certified to assist
veterans and their dependents and survivors. The curriculum for the
new service officer orientation shall be set forth by the commission
in accordance with section 4 of this chapter. presented under this
subsection shall be determined by the director.

   (b) Within one (1) year of appointment, new service officers must
attend a course presented by a national organization and become
accredited to represent veterans.

   (c) (b) An individual employed as a state, county, or city service
officer under this chapter is required to become accredited by the
department a national veterans service organization through the
United States Department of Veterans Affairs Office of General
Counsel not later than one (1) year not later than six (6) months from
the date of the individual's employment. in order to represent veterans.

   (d) (c) Annually, all state, county, or city service officers shall
undergo a course of training to adequately address problems of
discharged veterans in the service officer's county, or city, including a
thorough familiarization with laws, rules, and regulations of the federal
government and the state that affect benefits to which the veterans and
dependents of the veterans are entitled. After a service officer has
undergone this sustainment training and successfully passed a written
test, the service officer shall be reaccredited recertified by the director
to assist veterans for the following year.

   (d) Not later than January 1, 2026, the standards for
accreditation approved by the commission must include:

      (1) receipt of a federal personal identification verification
      (PIV) card;
      (2) standards of performance and key performance indicators
      which may include:

         (A) the number of veterans assisted;
         (B) the types of benefit claims filed and the success rates

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         for those claims;
         (C) outreach initiatives conducted; or
         (D) any other standard or indicator required by the
         commission;
      (3) minimum training requirements;
      (4) testing requirements; and
      (5) periodic service officer reporting requirements.
   (e) The commission shall also develop protocols for revoking a
service officer's accreditation in the event the service officer is not
compliant with the requirements established in subsection (d).

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President of the Senate

President Pro Tempore

Speaker of the House of Representatives

Governor of the State of Indiana

Date:                             Time:

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