A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT to increase the state matching limit for county veterans service offices and to appropriate funds for this purpose.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
SECTION 1.  G.S. 165‑6 reads as rewritten:
"§ 165‑6.  Powers and duties of the Department.
In furtherance of the stated purpose of this Article, the Department is hereby authorized and empowered to do the following:
(1)	To assist veterans, their families, and dependents in the presentation, processing, proof, and establishment of such claims, privileges, rights, and benefits as they may be entitled to under federal, State, or local laws, rules, and regulations.
(2)	To aid persons in active military service and their dependents with problems arising out of said service which come reasonably within the purview of the Department's program of assistance.
(3)	To collect data and information as to the facilities and services available to veterans, their families, and dependents and to cooperate with agencies furnishing information or services throughout the State in order to inform such agencies regarding the availability of (i) education, training and retraining facilities, (ii) health, medical, rehabilitation, and housing services and facilities, (iii) employment and reemployment services, (iv) provisions of federal, State, and local laws, rules, and regulations affording rights, privileges, and benefits to veterans, their families, and dependents, and in respect to such other matters of similar, related, or appropriate nature not herein set out.
(4)	To establish such field offices, facilities and services throughout the State as may be necessary to carry out the purposes of this Article.
(5)	To cooperate, as the Department deems appropriate, with governmental, private and civic agencies and instrumentalities in securing services or benefits for veterans, their families, dependents and beneficiaries.
(6)	To accept any property, funds, service, or facilities from any source, public or private, granted in aid or furtherance of the administration of the provisions of this Article.
(7)	To enter into any contract or agreement with any person, firm, or corporation, or governmental agency or instrumentality in furtherance of the purposes of this Article, and to make all rules and regulations necessary for the proper and effective administration of its duties.
(8)	It shall be the duty of the Department to train, supervise and assist the employees of any county, city or town who are engaged in veterans service. Authority is hereby granted the governing body of any county, city or town to appropriate such amounts as it may deem necessary to provide a veterans service program and the expenditure of such funds is hereby declared to be for a public purpose; such program shall be operated in affiliation with this Department and under its supervision as set forth above.
(9)	The Department may, in its discretion, contribute to each county an amount not to exceed five thousand dollars ($5,000) on a matching basis for any fiscal year for the maintenance and operation of a county veterans service program. Participating counties shall furnish the Department such reports, accountings and other information at such times and in such form as the Department may require.
(10)	Repealed by Session Laws 1973, c. 620, s. 9."
SECTION 2.  There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of Administration the sum of three hundred thousand dollars ($300,000) for the 2005‑2006 fiscal year to provide matching funds for the maintenance and operations of county veterans service programs.
SECTION 3.  This act becomes effective July 1, 2005.