(a) The commissioner of veterans services shall establish at some place in each congressional district in this state, a branch office in charge of an assistant commissioner or service officer, and such assistant commissioner or service officer may at least once a month visit the county seat of each county within the assistant commissioner's or service officer's congressional district for the purpose of conferring with and assisting veterans in obtaining the benefits granted to them by this or any other statute of this state or of the United States. In addition thereto, such assistant commissioner or service officer shall actively cooperate with any and all veterans' organizations in each county in the assistant commissioner's or service officer's congressional district in the preparation and presentation of claims on behalf of veterans, and should any county or city or combination thereof provide a service officer to aid honorably discharged veterans, such assistant commissioner or service officer shall likewise actively cooperate with them and shall cooperate with any local organization on questions of placement of veterans in the local employment. Such service officers shall be appointed by the commissioner, with the approval of the governor, and where possible, shall be honorably discharged veterans of some war in which the United States was a participant and shall be as well qualified for the duties imposed on them herein as possible.

(b) The commissioner, from time to time, shall issue instructions, manuals of procedure and other bulletins to such assistant commissioners or service officers for the purpose of familiarizing them with their duties and of rendering them more efficient in the performance thereof. Such assistant commissioners or service officers shall not discriminate for or against any veterans' organization in the performance of any duties and no veteran shall be required to join any veterans' organization as a condition precedent to obtaining cooperation hereunder.

(c) Such service officers or assistant commissioners shall be paid such compensation as may be fixed by the commissioner, upon the approval of the governor, which compensation shall be uniform in all cases so far as possible but in addition thereto, they shall be allowed their necessary traveling expenses when on duty outside the county in which their office is located. Annually, before setting the compensation to be paid to service officers or assistant commissioners, the commissioner shall conduct a survey of the compensation paid to service officers in other states. The commissioner shall consider the results of the survey in setting the compensation of service officers or assistant commissioners.

(d) The commissioner is authorized to rent suitable quarters at some point in each congressional district, if the same cannot be procured otherwise in public buildings, as an office for such assistant commissioner or service officer and may employ in connection therewith as well as in connection with the principal office, such clerical assistance as may be found necessary, all with the approval of the governor, the salaries to be paid to be commensurate with those paid for like services in other departments of the state.

(e) The commissioner may likewise incur such other expenses as may be necessary for the administration of §§ 58-3-104 — 58-3-108, all of the same to be within the appropriation made for the department.

(f) In addition, the commissioner may upon the approval of the governor, establish additional offices in any congressional district where the commissioner finds that one (1) assistant commissioner or service officer is incapable of efficiently handling the volume of work placed upon the commissioner by §§ 58-3-104 — 58-3-108.

(g) For purposes of this section, “congressional district” means a congressional district established based upon the 1990 federal census.