Ch. 28             1997 Session Laws of Kansas             81

Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Kansas:

Section 1. K.S.A. 73-1210a is hereby amended to read as follows: 73-
1210a. (a) Except as otherwise provided by law, and subject to the Kansas
civil service act, the executive director of the Kansas commission on vet-
erans affairs shall appoint such subordinate officers and employees, sub-
ject to the approval of the commission, as are necessary to enable the
commission to exercise or perform its functions, powers and duties pur-
suant to the provisions of article 12 of chapter 73 of Kansas Statutes
Annotated, and amendments thereto. All such subordinate officers and
employees shall be within the classified service under the Kansas civil
service act, shall perform such duties and exercise such powers as the
Kansas commission on veterans affairs and the executive director of the
commission may prescribe and such duties and powers as are designated
by law, and shall act for and exercise the powers of the commission and
the executive director to the extent authority to do so is delegated by such
commission or director.

(b) Except as otherwise provided by law, and subject to the Kansas
civil service act, the executive director of the Kansas commission on vet-
erans affairs shall appoint such subordinate officers and employees, sub-
ject to the approval of the Kansas commission on veterans affairs, as shall
be necessary to enable the commission to exercise or perform its func-
tions, powers and duties pursuant to the provisions of article 19 of chapter
76 of Kansas Statutes Annotated, and amendments thereto. All such sub-
ordinate officers and employees shall be within the classified service un-
der the Kansas civil service act, shall perform such duties and exercise
such powers as the commission, the executive director of the commission
and the superintendent of the Kansas soldiers' home may prescribe and
such duties and powers as are designated by law, and shall act for and
exercise the powers of the commission, the executive director of the com-
mission and the superintendent of the Kansas soldiers' home to the extent
authority to do so is delegated by such commission, executive director or
superintendent.

(c) Any veterans service representative appointed by the executive
director of the Kansas commission on veterans affairs shall be an honor-
ably discharged veteran or retired from the United States armed forces.

Nothing in this subsection shall be construed to affect the status, rights
or benefits of any officer or employee of the Kansas veterans' commission
employed by such commission on the effective date of this act.

For the purpose of this subsection, ``veterans service representative''

82             1997 Session Laws of Kansas             Ch. 28

means any officer or employee appointed pursuant to this section whose
primary duties include:

(1) Assisting and representing veterans and their dependents in se-
curing benefits from the federal government and the state of Kansas.

(2) Providing information and assistance to veterans and dependents
in obtaining special services and benefits based on knowledge of federal
and state laws, policies and regulations pertaining to veterans benefits
and services.

(c) (d) Nothing in this act shall be construed to affect the status, rights
or benefits of any officer or employee of the Kansas veterans' commission
employed by such commission on the effective date of this act.

Sec. 2. K.S.A. 73-1210a is hereby repealed.

Sec. 3. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after its
publication in the Kansas register.

Approved March 31, 1997.

Published in the Kansas Register: April 10, 1997.