The first official agency charged with assisting Veterans was the State Service Commission, established in 1927 by the Alabama Legislature. This agency was created primarily to assist World War I Veterans in claiming federal benefits and other services for which their military service made them eligible. From the outset, however, all surviving Veterans from any war were eligible for assistance in gaining federal benefits. The Alabama Department of Veterans Affairs (ADVA) is an outgrowth of the Commission, created to meet the needs of an increasing number of military Veterans.