Colorado § 28-5-802 - Qualifications - term of office.

§ 28-5-802. Qualifications - term of office.

(1) (a) An appointed county veterans service officer at the time of appointment must be a resident of the state, have served in the United States Army, Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps, Space Force, or Coast Guard, or any auxiliary branch thereof, and have been honorably discharged or be a discharged LGBT veteran, or be an officer released from active duty with the armed forces and placed on inactive duty. Before an appointment is made, the board of county commissioners making the appointment may seek the advice and counsel of the chief officer of each post of the regularly established and existing veterans organizations of the county where the officer is to serve as to the qualifications and experience of the applicant for the position. The appointee must be well-qualified based on the appointee's education and experience to perform the duties of a county veterans service officer. The division shall recommend education and experience qualifications for the position of a county veterans service officer.

(b) Notwithstanding subsection (1)(a) of this section, a county veterans service officer who is authorized to be hired by the appointed county veterans service officer is not required to have served in the United States Army, Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps, Space Force, or Coast Guard, or any auxiliary branch thereof, and is not required to have been honorably discharged or a discharged LGBT veteran, or be an officer released from active duty with the armed forces and placed on inactive duty.

(2) An appointment described in subsection (1) of this section is for a two-year term. At the expiration of the term or in case of a vacancy, the board of county commissioners making the appointment may either reappoint the incumbent to the position of a county veterans service officer or may consider applicants and appoint a county veterans service officer in the manner specified in this article 5.

(3) In order to be eligible to be a county veterans service officer and to serve as a claimant's representative and to assist a veteran claimant with the preparation, presentation, or prosecution of a claim for a United States department of veterans affairs benefit, a person must be certified by the state in accordance with the training and certification program developed pursuant to section 28-5-705 (1)(f) and accredited by the United States department of veterans affairs pursuant to requirements described in 38 CFR 14.629, as amended.

Source: L. 2002: Entire part added with relocations, p. 354, § 3, effective July 1. L. 2021: (1) amended, (HB21-1231), ch. 206, p. 1079, § 11, effective May 28; (1) amended, (SB 21-026), ch. 42, p. 176, § 12, effective November 11. L. 2024: Entire section amended, (SB 24-004), ch. 29, p. 91, § 4, effective August 7.

Editor's note: (1) This section is similar to former § 26-9-102 as it existed prior to 2002.

(2) Amendments to subsection (1) by SB 21-026 and HB 21-1231 were harmonized.

Cross references: For the short title ("Restoration of Honor Act") in SB 21-026, see section 1 of chapter 42, Session Laws of Colorado 2021.