Division: Admin News

Notice of Special Edition of Idaho Administrative Bulletin
IDAPA 21 – IDAHO DIVISION OF VETERANS SERVICES
Docket No. 21-0000-1900
NOTICE OF OMNIBUS RULEMAKING – TEMPORARY AND PROPOSED RULEMAKING …………………………………………4376
21.01.06 – Rules for the Enforcement of the Veteran’s Preference in Public Employment

Docket No. 21-0000-1900F
NOTICE OF OMNIBUS RULEMAKING – TEMPORARY AND PROPOSED FEE RULEMAKING …………………………………..4384
21.01.01 – Rules Governing Admission, Residency, and Maintenance Charges in Idaho State Veterans Homes and Division of Veterans Services Administrative Procedure

21.01.04 – Rules Governing the Idaho State Veterans Cemetery

You can view the special edition of the Administrative Bulletin, Bulletin Volume 19-6SE, June 19, 2019 at the following link: https://adminrules.idaho.gov/bulletin/. The pages relevant to the Idaho Division of Veterans Services begins on page 4376 and ends on page 4415.

Overview of Special Edition of Idaho Administrative Bulletin

§67-5292 states that all administrative rules automatically expire on July 1 unless extended by statute. The 2019 Idaho Legislature did not reauthorize all existing administrative rules as they have traditionally done in the past. As a result, the Governor directed DFM and all state executive agencies to exercise necessary executive authority to minimize the impact on state agencies, and the public most importantly.

This special edition of the Idaho Administrative Bulletin re-publishes the state’s administrative rules as temporary and proposed rules concurrently, with an effective date of June 30, 2019, including the above listed Rules related to the Idaho Division of Veterans Services. This approach ensures the state’s administrative rules will continue to have the full force and effect of law.

As this special edition is the first of its kind in Idaho’s history, the following provides additional context for interested members of the public.

Expiration of Rules. The administration allowed rules that were obsolete, unnecessary, or unenforceable to expire. When Governor Little took office, the state’s administrative code spanned 736 chapters; this bulletin re-publishes 595 chapters, or a 19% overall decrease. Many additional chapters were significantly simplified, allowing individual rules or subparts of rules to expire. All expired rules were vetted by their respective agencies, and boards/commissions with rulemaking authority held properly-noticed meetings to publicly vet their decisions. Last month, DFM posted the rules targeted for expiration to ensure the public had an opportunity to provide input. We are grateful for the active participation of the public in this process.

The Idaho Division of Veterans Services allowed five rules to expire, to be replaced with policy. This was a 37% reduction of Veterans Services administrative rules, 26 pages out of 70 pages.

Method of Re-Publication. Rules in this bulletin are published as temporary and proposed rules concurrently in accordance with §67-5226. Following public engagement, dockets will be finalized as pending rules in November 2019 as set forth in §67-5224.

CANCELLED: Next IVAC Meeting Scheduled for April 15, 2020
Unfortunately, due to the coronavirus outbreak COVID-19, the next IVAC meeting, previously scheduled for April 15, 2020 at the Idaho State Veterans Home in Lewiston, has been cancelled.

Consider Making A Donation to Idaho Veterans on Your Tax Return
When completing your Idaho State Tax return please consider making a donation on line 39. These contributions help support veterans organizations throughout the State of Idaho by funding projects and programs via small grants that directly benefit our Veterans.

For more information: http://veterans.idaho.gov/publi…/idaho-veterans-support-fund or call 208-780-1300.

#CaringForOurHeroes #MakeADonation #IdahoVeterans
Donation on your tax form

NOA Draft Environmental Assessment for Post Falls State Veterans Home
NOTICE OF AVAILABILITY
DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT
U. S. DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS
Idaho Division of Veterans Services
PROPOSED CONSTRUCTION AND OPERATION OF A NEW 64-BED STATE VETERANS HOME IN POST FALLS, IDAHO
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the Idaho Division of Veterans Services announce the availability of a Draft Environmental Assessment (EA) for the proposed construction and operation of a 64-bed State Veterans Home on approximately 7.3-acres of undeveloped land located in the Riverbend Commerce Park-Phase IV on South Clearwater Loop in Post Falls, Kootenai County, Idaho. The Draft EA has been prepared in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the Council on Environmental Quality regulations (40 CFR Part 1500) and VA’s NEPA regulations (38 CFR Part 26). The VA and Idaho Division of Veterans Services intend to issue a Finding of No Significant Impact following a 30-day public comment period, provided there are no substantive comments that warrant further evaluation.

The Draft EA is available online at www.veterans.idaho.gov and in print at the Post Falls Community Library Network located at 821 N Spokane St, Post Falls, ID 83854. Comments must be received by December 11, 2019 at 5:00 p.m.

Please submit comments by email to Tracy.Schaner@veterans.idaho.gov or by mail to:

Tracy Schaner, Deputy Chief Administrator
Idaho Division of Veterans Services
351 Collins Road
Boise, ID 83702

Idaho to Receive VA Grant Opportunity to Build a 4th State Veterans Home in Post Falls
Post Falls, ID – Idaho Division of Veterans Services has been notified that Idaho will receive a grant opportunity in federal FY 2019 to establish a fourth State Veterans Home in Post Falls, Idaho. The other three State Veterans Homes are in Boise, Pocatello, and Lewiston.

“The effort to build a fourth State Veterans Home in north Idaho is all about improving our veterans’ quality of life by providing them a safe, home-like environment. They deserve our commitment to this project,” Governor Brad Little said. “Thank you to the many partners who continue to press forward in making the Post Falls Veterans Home a reality, including the Veterans groups, Idaho Division of Veterans Services, federal government, businesses, locally elected leadership, and our state legislators.”

The fourth State Veterans Home will be located on 7.3 acres of land donated in May 2019 by the Jacklin Land Company to the State of Idaho specifically for the establishment of a 4th Veterans Home. This property is adjacent to BioPol Laboratory and Buck Knives, and the new State Veterans Home will create a nice transition between this industrial zone to the west and the current residential housing directly to the east. Preliminary construction costs for the proposed fourth veterans home are estimated at $49 million, with approximately $31 million of that covered by the federal government. IDVS will use funds already set aside in the Veterans Recognition Funds to cover its 35% match and non-allowable costs, approximately $18 million. IDVS’ FY20 budget included spending authority for the grant.

Tracy Schaner, Deputy Chief Administrator of the Idaho Division of Veterans Services, provided the following statement:
This is a day that I’ve been looking forward to for a longtime now and I was absolutely elated when I received the official notification from our federal VA partners that Idaho is receiving a grant fund opportunity in federal fiscal year 2019. As a nation, we owe a debt of gratitude to our Veterans who deserve the best care possible. This funding will provide our northern Idaho Veterans with just that, and they deserve nothing less. We are sincerely grateful for the support received from the Kootenai County communities and their leaders who have all been instrumental in making this project a reality. These include but are not limited to former Post Falls Mayor Clay Larkin; former Vice President of Community 1st Bank and current Managing Member of Financial and Real Estate Consulting, LLC Len Crosby; former Senator Robert Nonini; CEO of Riverbend Commerce Park Tom Stoeser; and current Post Falls Mayor Ron Jacobson. Most notably, the appreciation and gratitude towards the Jacklin Family for their ongoing support, generosity and philanthropy is nothing short of heartwarming. The Jacklin Land Company’s generous donation of land will make a difference in the lives of so many of north Idaho’s Veterans and their families for decades to come.

The State Veterans Home Construction Grant Program is a more than 50-year-old partnership between the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and States to construct nursing home, domiciliary, and/or adult day health care facilities. The program is authorized in Title 38 United States Code (USC) Section 8131-8137 and regulated in Title 38 Code of Federal Regulation (CFR) Part 59. VA may participate in up to 65 percent of the cost of construction or acquisition of State nursing homes or domiciliaries or for renovations to existing State Homes. Funding for the program has averaged $94 million per fiscal year over the past five years. A State Home is owned and operated by the State. VA assures Congress that State Homes provide quality care through inspections, audits, and reconciliation of records conducted by the State Home program managers and the VA medical center of jurisdiction. Under a separate program, VA also provides per diem payments to States for the care of eligible veterans in State Homes. There are approximately 153 State Veterans Homes in 50 states and the commonwealth of Puerto Rico with over 30,000 total beds available to eligible Veterans and spouses.

Marv Hagedorn, Chief Administrator of the Idaho Division of Veterans Services, praised the work of his team. “I am proud of the work team IDVS has done to secure this grant for the state of Idaho, and for northern Idaho’s Veterans. The work of my Deputy Chief Tracy Schaner and Financial Officer Debbie Spence particularly stand out.”

2019 Idaho Legislative Session – Veterans Legislation
List of 2019 Veterans Legislation in the Idaho Legislature

Now Accepting Applications for the FY2021 Veterans Recognition Fund Grant
IDVS is now accepting applications for the FY2021 Veterans Recognition Fund Grant.

The Idaho Veterans Recognition Fund is a grant program that allocates funds solely to benefit veterans in Idaho, with priority given to activities that serve disabled veterans. The Idaho Veterans Recognition Fund is subject to appropriation by the legislature. The Idaho Division of Veterans Services will post the application for FY 2021 Requests in October.

Applications will be accepted from January 2019 through the end of May 2019 for grants that will be allocated in FY 2021 (July 2020).

Note: The State of Idaho’s Fiscal Year runs from July 1 through June 30.

The Veterans Recognition Fund was established by Idaho Statute, Section 65-702, Idaho Code, to fund programs that support the service of Idaho veterans of the armed forces of the United States.

The Division’s policy is to fund programs operated both within and outside state and local government, which solely benefits veterans in Idaho. Priority will be given to activities that serve disabled veterans, as well as those that will serve the greatest number of veterans, and for which there is no other source of funding. Veterans Recognition Fund grants are not provided to support the basic needs of individual veterans or their families. The Division will refer applicants for grants to support the needs of individuals to the Veterans Services Emergency Relief Program.

Individuals, organizations, and governmental entities, including bureaus of the Division, may submit applications for funding from the Program.

Any purpose meeting the objective of supporting veterans of the armed forces of the United States and not explicitly excluded is eligible for consideration to receive a grant under the Program. Eligible activities and costs include:

Programs to inform veterans and the public of services and programs for veterans, including programs offered by the Division.
Programs that may fill gaps in services.
Programs providing career training to veterans, including programs providing educational scholarships.
Programs providing training to individuals and organizations supporting veterans, including employees of public and private organizations assisting veterans with healthcare, education, and assistance in obtaining public benefits.
The acquisition of equipment supporting the health, rehabilitation, or recreational activities of veterans.
Programs providing social, health, rehabilitation, or recreational activities or care to veterans.
Grants shall not be used for political, lobbying, religious, or illegal activities. Ineligible activities include:

Advocacy on behalf of individual applicants for public benefits.
The provision of educational information to public officials concerning the needs of veterans that does not advocate for or support specific legislative proposals.
All grant recipients shall comply with applicable law in the conduct of programs supported by a Program grant. Public entities and employees receiving or administering grant funds shall comply with the ethics, personnel, bidding, and accounting requirements generally applicable to the entity or individual. Unless specifically provided in the grant, no official or officer of a grant recipient, individual grant recipient, or family member of an official or officer of a grant recipient or family member of an individual grant recipient shall personally profit financially from a Program grant.

Applicants will submit grant proposals using the Veterans Recognition Fund Grant Application attached.

IDVS staff and the Administrator will review proposals for completeness and compliance with these rules and will make recommendations for awards to the Idaho Veterans Recognition Fund Committee. The Committee will evaluate grant proposals annually during a meeting to be held in conjunction with the April meeting of the Idaho Veterans Affairs Commission. The Committee will provide their recommendations and prioritization to the Administrator, who will include them in the annual Division budget request to the Governor. Grant funds approved during the budget process will be paid to grant applicants by the division after the beginning of the fiscal year for which it was budgeted.

The Committee may establish conditions or requirements for the expenditure of grant funds in a written agreement between the Committee, the Division, and the grant recipient. Conditions and requirements may include:

The provision of matching funds from the grant recipient.
The issuance of grant funds on a cost reimbursement basis.
The submission of status and final reports.
A completion date for the project of program.
Bidding requirements for the expenditure of grant funds.
Publication of credit to a grant from the Veterans Recognition Fund.
A written accounting of the use of grant funds and copies of all receipts associated with the expenditure of grant funds.
Grant funding may be terminated by the Committee at any time, for the use of grant funds in violation of these rules, the terms of the grant, or violation of any applicable law. Upon receipt of a written notice of termination, the grantee will immediately cease all expenditures of grant funds and return all unspent grant funds. The Committee may require a written accounting of the use of grant funds upon the termination of funding and may deny payment for costs claimed by the grant recipient and not substantiated by written documentation.

If you feel your program meets the criteria above and you would like to apply for a Veterans Recognition Fund grant, please complete the attached application and

mail to: Idaho Division of Veterans Services, 351 Collins Road, Boise, Idaho 83702

or fax: 208-780-1301

Again, thank you for your interest in the Veterans Recognition Fund grant program. If you have any questions regarding the application process, please contact the Idaho Division of Veterans Services at 208-780-1300

DOCUMENTS
Veterans Recognition Fund Grant Application

Special Meeting of the Idaho Veterans Recognition Fund Committee

The Idaho Veterans Recognition Fund Committee will meet on Tuesday November 20, 2018 at 9:00 AM MT in a special session. The purpose of this meeting is to discuss a request from an FY2019 Recipient, North Idaho College, to alter the parameters of how they will utilize their grant.

DOCUMENTS
Agenda

2018 USA Today Veterans Affairs Special Edition
We are proud to share with you this year’s USA TODAY Veterans Affairs Special Edition. Please find your complimentary digital copy via the link below.

Feel free to forward this link to any and all interested parties.

You are also welcome to post this link on your website and/or social media and share it with your community.

USA Today 2018 Veterans Affairs Special Edition clickable link

Now Accepting Applications for the 2019 Disabled Veterans Hunt

The Idaho Division of Veteran Services will coordinate an all-expenses-paid deer or elk hunt for a disabled Idaho veteran in 2019. The purpose of the hunt is to offer disabled veterans an opportunity to participate in a big-game hunt when they might otherwise be prevented from doing so by the seriousness of their disability. To be eligible for this hunt you must be a resident of Idaho and have a disability rating from the Department of Veterans Affairs.

A tag is provided at no charge to the successful applicant by the Idaho Department of Fish and Game under a special program. The selected veteran may choose antlered or antlerless deer or elk in compliance with established seasons. Specific tag information will be provided to the selected veteran.

Hunt dates will need to be coordinated well in advance, based on established seasons. In most cases, hunts occur in October or early November.

Please contact Kevin Wallior, 208-780-1308 or kevin.wallior@veterans.idaho.gov if you have any questions.

2019 Disabled Veterans Elk Hunt for Veterans with 40% Service connected disability or higher. For more info call 208-780-1300.