(a) There is established in the Treasury of the Virgin Islands a special fund to be designated the “Veterans Emergency Transportation Fund”. The Commissioner of Finance shall provide for the administration of this Fund as a separate and distinct fund in the Treasury of the Virgin Islands, and no amounts therein shall be available for expenditure or disbursement except as provided in this section. Said Fund shall consist of sums appropriated thereto from time to time by the Legislature and, in addition, the Commissioner is authorized to accept for deposit into said Fund such grants, contributions, gifts and bequests, federal or local, as may be made thereto.
(b) Monies shall be disbursed from the Veterans Emergency Transportation Fund by the Commissioner of Finance, upon authorization by the Director of the Division of Veterans Affairs or his designee within the Office of the Governor, for the purpose of paying all or a portion of the costs incurred in transporting veterans of the armed forces of the United States to and from Veterans Administration hospitals for purposes of receiving emergency treatment and/or services thereat; Provided, however, That disbursements from this Fund shall be authorized only when Veterans Administration funds are not available in paying said transportation costs, or when funds made available by the Veterans Administration are inadequate to cover all or a portion of said costs, as determined by the Director of the Division of Veterans Affairs; Provided further, that monies may also be disbursed from the Fund to provide transportation costs for at least one member of the veteran's family or other person to accompany the veteran to and from the Veterans Administration Hospital.
(c) The Commissioner of Health and the Director of the Division of Veterans Affairs shall promulgate rules and regulations defining the term “emergency treatment and/or services” for purposes of subsection (b) hereof. The Commissioner of Finance and the Director of the Division of Veterans Affairs, shall also promulgate rules and regulations designed to expedite timely disbursements from the Veterans Emergency Transportation Fund established hereunder.
(d) There is authorized to be appropriated to the Veterans Emergency Transportation Fund, the sum of $50,000.00 each year, which shall remain available until expended.