H-1446.1
SUBSTITUTE HOUSE BILL 1213
State of Washington
64th Legislature
2015 Regular Session
By House Community Development, Housing & Tribal Affairs (originally sponsored by Representatives Orwall, Klippert, MacEwen, Moeller, Hayes, Moscoso, Ormsby, Muri, Kilduff, and Tarleton)
READ FIRST TIME 02/05/15.
AN ACT Relating to the definition of veteran for the purposes of the county veterans assistance fund; and amending RCW 73.08.005.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
Sec. 1.  RCW 73.08.005 and 2013 c 42 s 2 are each amended to read as follows:
The definitions in this section apply throughout this chapter unless the context clearly requires otherwise.
(1) "Direct costs" includes those allowable costs that can be readily assigned to the statutory objectives of this chapter, consistent with the cost principles promulgated by the federal office of management and budget in circular No. A-87, dated May 10, 2004.
(2) "Family" means the spouse or domestic partner, surviving spouse, surviving domestic partner, and dependent children of a living or deceased veteran, or a servicemember who was killed in the line of duty regardless of the number of days served.
(3) "Indigent" means a person who is defined as such by the county legislative authority using one or more of the following definitions:
(a) Receiving one of the following types of public assistance: Temporary assistance for needy families, aged, blind, or disabled assistance benefits, pregnant women assistance benefits, poverty-related veterans' benefits, food stamps or food stamp benefits transferred electronically, refugee resettlement benefits, medicaid, medical care services, or supplemental security income;
(b) Receiving an annual income, after taxes, of up to one hundred fifty percent or less of the current federally established poverty level, or receiving an annual income not exceeding a higher qualifying income established by the county legislative authority; or
(c) Unable to pay reasonable costs for shelter, food, utilities, and transportation because his or her available funds are insufficient.
(4) "Indirect costs" includes those allowable costs that are generally associated with carrying out the statutory objectives of this chapter, but the identification and tracking of those costs cannot be readily assigned to a specific statutory objective without an accounting effort that is disproportionate to the benefit received. A county legislative authority may allocate allowable indirect costs to its veterans' assistance fund if it is accomplished in a manner consistent with the cost principles promulgated by the federal office of management and budget in circular No. A-87, dated May 10, 2004.
(5)(a) "Veteran" ((has the same meaning as defined in RCW 41.04.005 and 41.04.007, and in addition may include, at the discretion of the county legislative authority and in consultation with the veterans' advisory board, any other person who at the time he or she seeks the benefits of RCW 73.08.010, 73.08.070, and 73.08.080:
(a) Has received a general discharge under honorable conditions; or
(b) Has received a medical or physical discharge with an honorable record))means:
(i) A person who served in the active military, naval, or air service; a member of the women's air forces service pilots during World War II; a United States documented merchant mariner with service aboard an oceangoing vessel operated by the war shipping administration; the office of defense transportation, or their agents, from December 7, 1941, through December 31, 1946; or a civil service crewmember with service aboard a United States army transport service or United States naval transportation service vessel in oceangoing service from December 7, 1941, through December 31, 1946 who meets one of the following criteria:
(A) Served on active duty for at least one hundred eighty days and who was released with an honorable discharge;
(B) Received an honorable or general under honorable characterization of service with a medical reason for separation for a condition listed as non-existed prior to service, regardless of number of days served; or
(C) Received an honorable discharge and has received a rating for a service connected disability from the United States department of veterans affairs regardless of number of days served;
(ii) A current member honorably serving in the armed forces reserve or national guard who has been activated by presidential call up for purposes other than training;
(iii) A former member of the armed forces reserve or national guard who has fulfilled his or her initial military service obligation and was released with an honorable discharge.
(b) At the discretion of the county legislative authority and in consultation with the veterans' advisory board, counties may expand eligibility for the veterans assistance fund as the county determines necessary, which may include serving veterans with additional discharge characterizations.
(6) "Veterans' advisory board" means a board established by a county legislative authority under the authority of RCW 73.08.035.
(7) "Veterans' assistance fund" means an account in the custody of the county auditor, or the chief financial officer in a county operating under a charter, that is funded by taxes levied under the authority of RCW 73.08.080.
(8) "Veterans' assistance program" means a program approved by the county legislative authority under the authority of RCW 73.08.010 that is fully or partially funded by the veterans' assistance fund authorized by RCW 73.08.080.
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