Sec. 1.

(1) The qualifications for admission to residence in a veterans' facility for the widows, widowers, former spouses, and spouses of any member of the armed forces of the United States who was honorably discharged, shall be as follows: The widow, widower, former spouse, or spouse, of any member of the armed forces of the United States who was honorably discharged from the armed forces, who served in the Mexican war, the war of the rebellion, the Spanish-American war, the war in the Philippines, the first world war, the second world war, or in any other war, campaign, or expedition in which the armed forces of the United States have been, are, or may be, participants, for not less than 90 days shall be eligible for admission into a veterans' facility. However, in the case of the widows, widowers, former spouses, and spouses, the former spouse, spouse, widower, or widow shall be at least 60 years of age at the time of making application for admission. Any former spouse, spouse, widower, or widow of any of the veterans of any class mentioned who has established residency in this state at the time of making his or her application for admission and who is disabled or unable to earn a living may be eligible for admission notwithstanding the limitations otherwise provided for in this section. If any widow, widower, or former spouse who may be eligible for membership under his or her first spouse should remarry, he or she will forfeit all rights to a veterans' facility and cannot again claim membership under his or her first spouse.

(2) The board of managers of the veterans' facilities may prescribe as a condition for admission that all applicants be charged maintenance in the same manner as members who qualify for membership as former members of the armed forces of the United States, which maintenance shall be paid to the adjutant of the veterans' facilities in advance, not later than the fifth day of each month. Failure to comply with any condition shall be cause for dismissal from a veterans' facility. The money received shall be turned over to the state treasury and credited to the veterans' facilities operations fund. The board of managers of the veterans' facilities also may make a condition for admission to the veterans' facilities that all applicants shall assign to the board of managers any balance of money accumulated while a member of a facility or on deposit with any bank, trust company, corporation, or individual at the time of the death of the applicant. All sums shall be paid to the spouse, minor children, or dependent mother or father, in the order named, and, if no such relative shall be found within a period of 2 years, or if no claim has been made within a period of 2 years, the balance of any money shall be paid into a fund in the hands of the adjutant of the veterans' facilities to be expended under the direction of the board of managers to improve the service of the veterans' facilities.

(3) The parent of any member of the armed forces of the United States who was honorably discharged from the armed forces who served in any of the wars described in subsection (1) may be admitted upon the approval of the board of managers, under rules and conditions as the board may prescribe.

History: 1921, Act 15, Imd. Eff. Mar. 30, 1921 ;-- CL 1929, 797 ;-- Am. 1933, Act 232, Imd. Eff. July 6, 1933 ;-- CL 1948, 36.31 ;-- Am. 1952, Act 94, Eff. Sept. 18, 1952 ;-- Am. 1958, Act 188, Eff. Sept. 13, 1958 ;-- Am. 1982, Act 180, Imd. Eff. June 14, 1982 ;-- Am. 1982, Act 392, Eff. Mar. 30, 1983 Compiler's Notes: For transfer of powers and duties of the State Veterans' Facilities of Michigan and the Board of Managers from the Department of Public Health to the Department of Military Affairs, see E.R.O. No. 1991-7, compiled at MCL 36.71 of the Michigan Compiled Laws.For transfer of authority, powers, duties, functions, and responsibilities of the State Veterans' Facilities of Michigan and Board of Managers created under Act 152 of Public Acts of 1885, as amended being Sections 36.1 to 36.12 of the Michigan Compiled Laws and certain other associated functions, from the Department of Public Health to the Department of Military Affairs, see E.R.O. No. 1992-1, compiled at MCL 36.71 of the Michigan Compiled Laws.