SF 2027 (LSB 5139XS (2) 87)

SENATE FILE 2027

BY  JOCHUM

A BILL FOR

An Act relating to driver’s licenses marked to reflect veteran status for members of the reserve forces of the United States and the Iowa national guard.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:

    Section 1.  Section 321.189, subsection 8, Code 2018, is amended to read as follows:
   8.  Veterans status.  A licensee who is an honorably discharged veteran of the armed forces of the United States may request that the license be marked to reflect the licensee’s veteran status. Upon such a request, the word “VETERAN” shall be marked prominently on the face of the license. Such a license shall be issued upon receipt of satisfactory proof of veteran status pursuant to procedures established by the department in consultation with the department of veterans affairs, or upon presentation of the licensee’s certification of release or discharge from active duty, DD form 214, to the department at the time of the licensee’s request, if the form indicates the licensee was honorably discharged. If the license is issued upon presentation of the licensee’s certification of release or discharge from active duty, DD form 214, the department shall notify the commission of veteran affairs of the county of the licensee’s residence that the licensee was issued a license marked to reflect the licensee’s veteran status. After receiving notification from the department, the commission of veteran affairs shall initiate contact with the licensee.  For purposes of this subsection, “veteran” means as defined in section 35.1 but shall also include any member of the reserve forces of the United States discharged under honorable conditions and any member of the Iowa national guard discharged under honorable conditions regardless of the aggregate number of days of federal active duty served by the member and regardless of whether the member was activated for federal duty. 
EXPLANATION
The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with
the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly.
   Under current law, a person who is an honorably discharged veteran of the armed forces of the United States may request that the person’s driver’s license be marked to reflect the person’s veteran status. Such a license is required to be issued upon receipt of satisfactory proof of veteran status pursuant to procedures established by the department of transportation (DOT) in consultation with the department of veterans affairs (DVA), or upon presentation of the person’s certification of release or discharge from active duty, DD form 214, to the DOT. The procedures established by the DOT (761 IAC 605.2) require a person who was a member of the national guard or reserve forces and who applies directly to the DOT to present a DD form 214 which indicates that the person was honorably discharged after serving for at least a minimum aggregate of 90 days of active duty service for purposes other than training. A person who was a member of the national guard or reserve forces and who has a discharge document other than a DD form 214 must have the person’s eligibility for a veteran designation determined by a designee of the Iowa DVA and is required to apply to the DVA for a veteran designation by submitting form 432035. Form 432035 requires the person to meet the definition of “veteran” set forth in Code section 35.1. Code section 35.1 defines “veteran” to mean, in part, a member of the reserve forces of the United States who completed a minimum aggregate of 90 days of federal active duty other than training and was discharged under honorable conditions, and a member of the Iowa national guard who was activated for federal duty other than training for a minimum aggregate of 90 days and was discharged under honorable conditions.
   This bill provides that for purposes of a driver’s license marked to reflect veteran status, “veteran” means as defined in Code section 35.1 but also includes any member of the reserve forces of the United States discharged under honorable conditions and any member of the Iowa national guard discharged under honorable conditions regardless of the aggregate number of days of federal active duty served by the member and regardless of whether the member was activated for federal duty.