Section 176. Veteran advisory committees; duties

1. (a) In every county,
  city or town which has elected to furnish veteran  assistance,  pursuant
  to  the  provisions  of  this  title,  in  which there are more than one
  veteran organization or more than one post,  camp  or  garrison  of  any
  veteran  organization,  there shall be appointed and constituted a joint
  veteran assistance advisory committee to consist of  one  representative
  from  each  post,  camp  and garrison of each such veteran organization,
  chosen in such manner as the post, camp or  garrison  shall  direct,  to
  serve  for  one  year,  commencing  the  first day of January. Each such
  committee shall choose a chairman and such other officers as it may deem
  necessarry or require.  In counties and cities the  deputy  commissioner
  or  director  of the veteran assistance division or bureau of the public
  welfare department shall serve ex officio as secretary of the committee.
  In towns, the town welfare  officer  shall  serve  ex  officio  as  such
  secretary,  unless  he is not a veteran and his deputy or assistant is a
  veteran, in which case such deputy or assistant, as  the  case  may  be,
  shall serve as such secretary.
    (b)  In  any  town  which  has  elected  to furnish veteran assistance
  pursuant to the provisions of this title, in which  there  is  only  one
  veteran  organization  and only one post, camp or garrison thereof, such
  post, camp or garrison shall constitute a veterans  assistance  advisory
  committee,  consisting  of  its  chairman  and two other representatives
  designated by it, which committee shall serve for  one  year  commencing
  the  first  day  of  January.  The  town  welfare officer, his deputy or
  assistant, if a veteran, shall serve ex officio as the secretary of  the
  committee; if neither be a veteran, the town welfare officer shall serve
  as such secretary.
    2.  All  committees  constituted under subdivision one of this section
  shall have and perform the following functions and duties:
    (a) (1) In the case of county or city committees,  to  submit  to  the
  public  welfare  official  of  the county or city in which it operates a
  list of veterans qualified to serve as deputy commissioner  or  director
  of  the  veterans  assistance  division  or bureau in the county or city
  department of welfare, as the case may be, whenever there be  a  vacancy
  in that office.
    (2)  In  the  case  of  town  committees, to submit to the town public
  welfare officer a list of veterans qualified to serve as his  deputy  or
  assistant  to furnish veteran assistance, whenever there be a vacancy in
  that office.
    (b) To keep informed all posts, camps or  garrisons  of  each  veteran
  organization  in  its territory concerning the administration of veteran
  assistance and the activities of  the  veteran  assistance  division  or
  bureau.
    (c) To transmit to the veteran assistance division, bureau or official
  administering  veteran  assistance  in  its  territory, the views of the
  veteran organizations operating in such territory.
    (d) To advise the public welfare official of the county, city or  town
  administering veteran assistance in its territory on matters relating to
  assistance and care given to veterans and their families.