As used in the Veterans' Services Department Act:

A. "department" means the veterans' services department;

B. "gold star parent" means a surviving parent of a member of the armed forces of the United States who is missing in action or whose death was related to the member's service in the armed forces of the United States;

C. "secretary" means the secretary of veterans' services; and

D. "veteran" means a New Mexico resident who:

(1) was regularly enlisted, drafted, inducted or commissioned in the:

(a) armed forces of the United States and was accepted for and assigned to active duty in the armed forces of the United States;

(b) army reserve, navy reserve, marine corps reserve, air force reserve, coast guard reserve, army national guard or air national guard and was accepted for and assigned to duty for a minimum of six continuous years; or

(c) United States public health service commissioned corps or the national oceanic and atmospheric administration commissioned officer corps and served in the capacity of a commissioned officer while on active duty in defense of the United States; and

(2) was not separated from such service under circumstances amounting to dishonorable discharge.

History: Laws 2004, ch. 19, § 3; 2012, ch. 6, § 1; 2016, ch. 4, § 1; 2017, ch. 84, § 1.

The 2017 amendment, effective July 1, 2017, defined "gold star parent" as the term is used in the Veterans' Services Department Act; and added a new Subsection B and redesignated the succeeding subsections accordingly.

The 2016 amendment, effective May 18, 2016, amended the definition of "veteran" in the Veterans' Services Department Act, removing the requirement that a veteran be a citizen of the United States; in Subsection C, deleted Paragraph (1), which defined "veteran" as a New Mexico resident who is a citizen of the United States, and redesignated the succeeding paragraphs accordingly.

The 2012 amendment, effective July 1, 2012, in Subsection C, Paragraph (2), added Subparagraphs (b) and (c).