(b) The Department of Veterans’ Affairs may appoint one or more volunteer veterans’ guides to provide support services and assistance to veterans, spouses and dependents of veterans, and survivors of veterans, whom the department serves.

(2) A volunteer veterans’ guide shall provide volunteer services under the direction of:

(a) The county veterans’ service officers appointed under ORS 408.410, as described in ORS 406.450; or

(b) The Department of Veterans’ Affairs, as appropriate.

(3) The duties of a volunteer veterans’ guide may include, but are not limited to:

(a) Developing and maintaining relationships with the local community and local service providers for veterans;

(b) Assisting and referring veterans to county and local providers of support services and programs for food, shelter and health care within the county;

(c) Assisting county veterans’ service officers or state veterans’ service officers in developing, planning and implementing outreach to local veterans; and

(d) Assisting county veterans’ service officers or state veterans’ service officers by providing administrative services, including handling of telephone calls, scheduling client appointments, greeting clients, doing client intake, distributing materials, doing mailings, and handling, scanning and copying of documents and files.

(4) The county governing body or the department, as appropriate, shall:

(a) Conduct a fingerprint-based criminal records check on an applicant for a volunteer veterans’ guide position prior to appointing the person to the position; and

(b) Require the volunteer veterans’ guide to sign an oath of confidentiality relating to all information received by the guide that relates to clients and applicants or recipients of veterans’ benefits or public assistance, including but not limited to names, addresses, telephone numbers, and personal, financial and medical information.

(5) The volunteer veterans’ guide shall serve as a volunteer and receive no compensation. The county or the department, as appropriate, may reimburse the volunteer veterans’ guide for expenses, may provide the guide with business cards bearing the county’s or the department’s official logo and may provide the guide with office space and equipment, if available or necessary. Expenditures made pursuant to this subsection, if any, must be made from the county funds described in ORS 408.720 or the department’s funds, as appropriate.

(6) The department may provide training for volunteer veterans’ guides and county veterans’ service officers on implementation of this section and offer opportunities for sharing innovative practices and ideas.

(7) As used in this section:

(a) "Survivor" means the spouse or a dependent of a deceased veteran.

(b) "Veteran" has the meaning given that term in ORS 408.225. [2015 c.574 §1]

Note: 406.464 was enacted into law by the Legislative Assembly but was not added to or made a part of ORS chapter 406 or any series therein by legislative action. See Preface to Oregon Revised Statutes for further explanation.