9-22-6. Secretary; duties and general powers.
A. The secretary is responsible to the governor for the operation of the department. It is the duty of the secretary to manage the operations of the department and to administer and enforce the laws with which the secretary or the department is charged.
B. The secretary has every power expressly enumerated in the laws, whether granted to the secretary or to a division of the department, except where authority conferred upon a division in the department is explicitly exempted from the authority of the secretary by statute. In accordance with these provisions, the secretary shall:
(1) except as otherwise provided in the Veterans' Services Department Act [9