House File 259 - Enrolled
House File 259
AN ACT
RELATING TO MATTERS UNDER THE PURVIEW OF THE DEPARTMENT OF
VETERANS AFFAIRS, INCLUDING COUNTY COMMISSIONS OF VETERAN
AFFAIRS AND CEMETERY EXPENDITURES.
4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
1 Section 1. Section 35.1, subsection 2, Code 2024, is amended
2 by adding the following new paragraph:
3 NEW PARAGRAPH. d. A resident of this state who served in
4 any component of the armed forces of the United States, who
5 is in receipt of service-connected disability from the United
6 States department of veterans affairs, and who was discharged
7 under honorable conditions.
8 Sec. 2. Section 35A.3, subsection 7, Code 2024, is amended
9 by striking the subsection.
10 Sec. 3. Section 35A.5, subsection 6, Code 2024, is amended
11 to read as follows:
12 6. a. Conduct Administer or conduct one service school
13 each year for county commissioners and one service school for
14 executive directors and administrators. The service school for
15 executive directors and administrators shall provide at least
16 sixteen continuing education units.
17 b. (1) The department may receive and accept donations,
18 grants, gifts, and contributions from any public or private
19 source to be used for any of the following purposes:
20 (a) Providing payment for training opportunities under
21 paragraph “a”.
 House File 259, p. 2
22 (b) Organizing training relating to state programs for
23 county commission of veteran affairs executive directors,
24 administrators, and commissioners.
25 (c) Hiring an agency, organization, or other entity to
26 provide training or educational programming.
27 (d) Reimbursing county commission of veteran affairs
28 executive directors, administrators, and commissioners for
29 transportation costs related to a conference, program, or both.
30 (e) Verifying a person’s qualifications pursuant to
31 subsection 9.
32 (2) All funds received by the department for the purposes
33 established in subparagraph (1) shall be deposited in the
34 county commission of veteran affairs training program account
35 established in section 35A.16, subsection 4.
1 Sec. 4. Section 35A.5, subsection 9, Code 2024, is amended
2 by striking the subsection and inserting in lieu thereof the
3 following:
4 9. Verify each executive director and administrator of a
5 county commission of veteran affairs is fully qualified to work
6 in the person’s position. Qualifications include but are not
7 limited to all of the following:
8 a. The person has obtained certification that is federally
9 required for the executive director’s or administrator’s
10 position within twelve months of beginning the person’s
11 employment.
12 b. The person has obtained a personal identification
13 verification card necessary to access the veterans benefits
14 management system within twelve months of beginning the
15 person’s employment.
16 c. The person maintains certification that is federally
17 required for the executive director’s or administrator’s
18 position.
19 d. The person maintains an active personal identification
20 verification card and has access to the veterans benefits
21 management system.
22 e. The person is proficient in the use of electronic
23 mail, general computer use, and use of the internet to access
24 information regarding facilities, benefits, and services
25 available to veterans and their families.
 House File 259, p. 3
26 Sec. 5. Section 35A.13, subsection 3, Code 2024, is amended
27 to read as follows:
28 3. Moneys credited to the trust fund shall not be
29 transferred, used, obligated, appropriated, or otherwise
30 encumbered, except as provided in this section. Moneys in the
31 trust fund may also be used for cemetery grant development
32 purposes provided that any moneys so allocated, except
33 for moneys used for department of administrative services
34 expenditures related to the grant, are returned to the trust
35 fund upon receipt of federal funds received for such purposes.
1 Sec. 6. Section 35A.16, subsection 3, paragraph a, Code
2 2024, is amended to read as follows:
3 a. If sufficient moneys are available, the department
4 shall annually allocate ten thousand dollars to each county
5 commission of veteran affairs, or to each county sharing the
6 services of an executive director or administrator pursuant
7 to chapter 28E, to be used to provide services to veterans
8 pursuant to section 35B.6 and provide for and maintain
9 accreditation in accordance with the policies and procedures of
10 the United States department of veterans affairs. Each county
11 receiving an allocation shall annually report on expenditure of
12 the allocation in a form agreed to by the department and county
13 representatives.
14 Sec. 7. Section 35A.16, subsection 4, Code 2024, is amended
15 to read as follows:
16 4. A county commission of veteran affairs training program
17 account shall be established within the county commissions
18 of veteran affairs fund. Any moneys remaining in the fund
19 after the allocations under subsection 3 shall be credited
20 to the account and used by the department to fund the county
21 commission of veteran affairs training program under section
22 35A.17 35A.5, subsection 6, and training for department
23 personnel.
24 Sec. 8. Section 35B.3, Code 2024, is amended to read as
25 follows:
26 35B.3 County commission of veteran affairs.
27 The county commission of veteran affairs shall consist
28 of either three or five persons, as determined by the board
29 of supervisors, all of whom shall be veterans as defined in
 House File 259, p. 4
30 section 35.1. If possible, each member of the commission shall
31 be a veteran of a different military action branch. However,
32 this qualification does not preclude membership to a veteran
33 who served in more than one branch of the military actions.
34 Sec. 9. Section 35B.6, subsection 1, paragraph c, Code 2024,
35 is amended to read as follows:
1 c. (1) Upon the employment of an executive director or
2 administrator, the executive director or administrator shall
3 complete a course of for the purpose of obtaining certification
4 training provided by the department of veterans affairs
5 pursuant to section 35A.5 federally required for the person’s
6 position and a personal identification verification card
7 necessary to access the veterans benefits management system.
8 If an executive director or administrator fails to obtain
9 certification or a personal identification verification card
10 within one year of being employed, the executive director or
11 administrator shall be removed from office. The department
12 shall issue the executive director or administrator a
13 certificate of training after completion of the certification
14 training course. To maintain certification, the Upon a
15 request from a county commission of veteran affairs and based
16 on extenuating circumstances, the commandant of the Iowa
17 department of veterans affairs may extend the time frame for
18 an executive director or administrator to obtain a personal
19 identification verification card.
20 (2) An executive director or administrator shall satisfy
21 the continuing education requirements established by the
22 national association of county veterans service officers and
23 the United States department of veterans affairs. Failure
24 of an executive director or administrator to maintain
25 certification shall be cause for removal from office. The
26 expenses of training the executive director or administrator
27 shall be paid from the appropriation authorized in section
28 35B.14.
29 (3) An executive director or administrator shall satisfy
30 the continuing education requirements necessary to maintain an
31 active personal identification verification card and access
32 to the veterans benefits management system. Failure of an
33 executive director or administrator to maintain certification
 House File 259, p. 5
34 and access to the veterans benefits management system shall be
35 cause for removal from office.
1 Sec. 10. Section 35B.14, subsection 4, Code 2024, is amended
2 to read as follows:
3 4. Burial expenses shall be paid by the county in which
4 the person died resided. If the person is a resident of a
5 different county at the time of death, the county of residence
6 shall reimburse the county where the person died for the cost
7 of burial. In either case, the The county board of supervisors
8 of the respective counties shall audit and pay the account from
9 the funds provided for in this chapter in the manner as other
10 claims are audited and paid.
11 Sec. 11. REPEAL. Sections 35A.17 and 35B.17, Code 2024,
12 are repealed.
13 Sec. 12. TRANSITION. A person employed in the position
14 of a county veteran service officer on the effective date of
15 this Act must obtain a personal identification verification
16 card under section 35A.5, subsection 9, as amended by this Act,
17 within one year of the effective date of this Act or be removed
18 from office.
______________________________ ______________________________
PAT GRASSLEY AMY SINCLAIR
Speaker of the House President of the Senate
I hereby certify that this bill originated in the House and
is known as House File 259, Ninetieth General Assembly.
______________________________
MEGHAN NELSON
Chief Clerk of the House
Approved _______________, 2024 ______________________________
KIM REYNOLDS
Governor


Statutes affected:
Introduced: 35.1, 35.2, 35A.5, 35A.16, 35A.13, 35B.6, 35B.3, 35B.14, 426A.12
Enrolled: 35.1, 35A.3, 35A.5, 35A.16, 35A.13, 35B.6, 35B.3, 35B.14