Senate File 276 - Introduced SENATE FILE 276 BY COMMITTEE ON VETERANS AFFAIRS (SUCCESSOR TO SSB 1048) (COMPANION TO HF 250 BY COMMITTEE ON VETERANS AFFAIRS) A BILL FOR An Act relating to county commissions of veteran affairs. 1 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 2 TLSB 1446SV (1) 91 sc/js
S.F. 276 Section 1. Section 35A.5, subsection 14, paragraph c, Code 1 2025, is amended to read as follows: 2 c. The number of hours of veterans services provided by 3 each county commission of veteran affairs executive director or 4 administrator during the previous calendar fiscal year. 5 Sec. 2. Section 35B.6, subsection 1, paragraph c, 6 subparagraphs (1) and (2), Code 2025, are amended by striking 7 the subparagraphs and inserting in lieu thereof the following: 8 (1) (a) Upon the employment of an executive director or 9 administrator, the executive director or administrator shall 10 comply with all directives of the commandant of the Iowa 11 department of veterans affairs regarding the completion of any 12 training or certification required for the persons position 13 under applicable state and federal law. The executive director 14 or administrator shall also obtain a personal identification 15 verification card necessary to access the veterans benefits 16 management system. An executive director or administrator 17 shall be removed from office if, after one year of employment, 18 the executive director or administrator has not done all of the 19 following: 20 (i) Obtained certification. 21 (ii) Obtained a personal identification verification card. 22 (iii) Completed training directed by the commandant of the 23 Iowa department of veterans affairs. 24 (b) Upon a request from a county commission of veteran 25 affairs and based on extenuating circumstances, the commandant 26 of the Iowa department of veterans affairs may extend the time 27 frame for an executive director or administrator to obtain a 28 personal identification verification card. 29 (2) To complete continuing education federally required for 30 the persons position, an executive director or administrator 31 shall receive training only from entities approved by the 32 commandant of the Iowa department of veterans affairs. 33 Failure of an executive director or administrator to maintain 34 certification shall be cause for removal from office. The 35 -1- LSB 1446SV (1) 91 sc/js 1/ 2
S.F. 276 expenses of training the executive director or administrator 1 shall be paid from the appropriation authorized in section 2 35B.14. 3 EXPLANATION 4 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 5 the explanations substance by the members of the general assembly. 6 Under current law, the Iowa department of veterans affairs 7 is required to submit an annual report to the governor and the 8 general assembly including the county commissions of veteran 9 affairs training compliance and hours of veterans services 10 provided during the previous calendar year. This bill requires 11 the hours of veterans services in the report to be from the 12 previous fiscal year. 13 The bill also requires an executive director or 14 administrator of a county commission of veteran affairs to meet 15 continuing education requirements established by the commandant 16 of the Iowa department of veterans affairs and removes the 17 requirement that an executive director or administrator 18 meet the continuing education requirements of the national 19 association of county veterans service officers. 20 -2- LSB 1446SV (1) 91 sc/js 2/ 2