N.Y. Social Services Law § 173: Election to administer veteran assistance by county public welfare district; organization

§ 173. Election to administer veteran assistance by county public

welfare district; organization. 1. When a majority of the veteran

organizations in a county, by and through their respective county

divisions, file with the clerk of the board of the supervisors of the

county, a petition addressed to the board of supervisors of the county

requesting that veteran assistance be administered by such county, the

board of supervisors may, by resolution passed by a majority vote,

establish a division or bureau, or direct that a division or bureau be

established, within the county department of public welfare, and under

the direction of the county commissioner of public welfare, for the

purpose of administering veteran assistance.

2. In the event that the county board of supervisors shall pass such a

resolution, it shall also authorize and direct the county commissioner

of public welfare to appoint a veteran, as herein defined, as deputy

commissioner or director of the veteran assistance division or bureau,

as the case may be.

3. The county commissioner shall transfer to the veteran assistance

division or bureau so much of the staff of the county welfare department

as may be necessary or practicable to administer and execute the

functions, powers and duties assigned to such division or bureau.

Officers and employees shall be transferred without further examination

or qualification and they shall retain their respective civil service

classification and status. The civil service qualifications for all

positions in the veteran assistance division or bureau shall be the same

as required for the same or similar positions in the other divisions or

bureaus of the county department of welfare, except that the

qualifications for the position of the deputy commissioner or director,

as the case may be, shall also require that he be a veteran.

4. The salaries or compensation paid to employees of the veteran

assistance division or bureau shall be subject to reimbursement by the

state under the same terms and conditions as are applicable to other

employees of the county department of public welfare under the

provisions of this chapter.

5. Upon recommendation of the county commissioner of public welfare,

the county board of supervisors may authorize, by resolution passed by a

majority vote, the veteran assistance division or bureau to administer,

in addition to veteran assistance, such other forms or categories of

public assistance and care as may be practicable or necessary, provided

that sufficient qualified staff shall be available for transfer or

assignment to the veteran assistance division or bureau to execute and

perform the additional functions and duties so assigned to such division

or bureau.

6. The board of supervisors may also authorize the commissioner of

public welfare to establish and operate a branch of the veteran

assistance division or bureau in each or any major population center in

the county.