Tennessee Department of Veterans Affairs
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The '''Tennessee Department of Veterans Affairs''' is a Cabinet-level agency within the [[Tennessee]] state government, headed by the [[Tennessee Commissioner of Veterans Affairs]], who is currently [[John A. Keys]]. The Department is responsible for administering programs of veterans benefits for Tennessee's [[veterans]], their families, and their survivors.
The Department manages state veterans cemeteries for members of the [[Military of the United States|Armed Forces of the United States]] who died while on active duty, and for veterans who served on active duty in the Armed Forces that were discharged or released before [[September 7]], [[1980]]. They also manage free [[license plates]] for [[100% disabled|100% service connected disabled]] veterans, ex-[[prisoners of war]], and recipients of the [[Medal of Honor]], the [[Distinguished Service Cross (United States)|Distinguished Service Cross]], the [[Navy Cross]], and the [[Air Force Cross (United States)|Air Force Cross]]. Owners of free license plates receive parking privileges, and certain veterans receive special or memorial license plates.
Other state benefits include management of state [[veterans home]]s, property tax relief for 100% disabled veterans and their surviving spouses, $10 hunting and fishing licenses for 30% or more service connected disabled veterans, scholarships for eligible dependent children, exception to the motor vehicle privilege tax for 100% disabled veterans, reemployment rights of public employees, discounts in [[state park]]s, preference for veterans in state employment, and credit for military service in state employment. By [[statute]], the Department of Veterans Affairs is prohibited from in any way assisting the implementation or operation of the Tennessee Tomorrow Program, which was transferred to the [[Tennessee Department of Education]] by [[Executive order (United States)|executive order]], or any youth-in-public-service program.
According to the Tennessee Blue Book, an Ex-Serviceman's Bureau was established in [[1921]], but the small agency was unable to provide adequate service for the influx of veterans after [[World War II]]. As a result, the [[Tennessee General Assembly|General Assembly]] created the Department of Veterans Affairs to provide statewide services in [[1945]]. In [[1959]], the department was placed under the governor's office as a staff division headed by a director, but the General Assembly once again established it as a department in [[1975]]. In [[1987]] the General Assembly authorized the department to establish state veterans cemeteries, and in [[1988]] legislation was passed that established state veterans homes under the direction of a board of directors appointed by the governor. In [[1991]] the department was authorized to train and accredit county-employed veterans service officers.
==External links==
*[http://www.tennessee.gov/veteran/index.html The Tennessee Department of Veterans Affairs website]
*[http://198.187.128.12/ LexisNexis's archive of Tennessee Code, Title 4]
*[http://www.tennessee.gov/tsla/history/state/recordgroups/findingaids/rg95.pdf A list of Tennessee executive orders from the Tennessee State Library and Archives]
*[http://www.state.tn.us/sos/bluebook/05-06/30-veterans.pdf The Tennessee Blue Book's section on the Department (PDF)]
==Misc links==
*[http://www.compliancenews.com/ Compliance News] A national internet publication that promotes the interests of Disabled Veterans and provides lists of federal and state jobs that are looking to hire Veteran sub contractors.
[[Category:Government of Tennessee]]