§ 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.