House Amendment 8354
PAG LIN
1 1 Amend Senate File 2134, as amended, passed, and
1 2 reprinted by the Senate, as follows:
1 3 #1. By striking everything after the enacting
1 4 clause and inserting the following:
1 5 <Section 1. Section 35A.5, subsection 9, Code
1 6 Supplement 2007, is amended to read as follows:
1 7 9. After consultation with the commission, provide
1 8 certification training to executive directors and
1 9 administrators of county commissions of veteran
1 10 affairs pursuant to section 35B.6. Training provided
1 11 under this subsection shall include accreditation by
1 12 the national association of county veteran service
1 13 officers. Training provided by the department shall
1 14 be certified by the national association of county
1 15 veteran service officers and, in addition, shall
1 16 ensure that each executive director and administrator
1 17 is proficient in the use of electronic mail, general
1 18 computer use, and use of the internet to access
1 19 information regarding facilities, benefits, and
1 20 services available to veterans and their families.
1 21 The department may adopt rules in accordance with
1 22 chapter 17A to provide for training of county veteran
1 23 affairs executive directors and administrators.
1 24 Sec. 2. NEW SECTION. 35A.16 COUNTY COMMISSIONS
1 25 OF VETERAN AFFAIRS FUND == APPROPRIATION.
1 26 1. a. A county commissions of veteran affairs
1 27 fund is created within the state treasury under the
1 28 control of the department. The fund shall consist of
1 29 appropriations made to the fund and any other moneys
1 30 available to and obtained or accepted by the
1 31 department from the federal government or private
1 32 sources for deposit in the fund.
1 33 b. There is appropriated from the general fund of
1 34 the state to the department, for the fiscal year
1 35 beginning July 1, 2009, and for each subsequent fiscal
1 36 year, the sum of one million dollars to be credited to
1 37 the county commissions of veteran affairs fund.
1 38 2. Notwithstanding section 12C.7, interest or
1 39 earnings on moneys in the county commissions of
1 40 veteran affairs fund shall be credited to the county
1 41 commissions of veteran affairs fund. Notwithstanding
1 42 section 8.33, moneys remaining in the county
1 43 commissions of veteran affairs fund at the end of a
1 44 fiscal year shall not revert to the general fund of
1 45 the state.
1 46 3. If sufficient moneys are available, the
1 47 department shall annually allocate ten thousand
1 48 dollars to each county commission of veteran affairs,
1 49 or to each county sharing the services of an executive
1 50 director or administrator pursuant to chapter 28E, to
2 1 be used for the employment of an executive director or
2 2 administrator pursuant to section 35B.6.
2 3 4. A county commission of veteran affairs training
2 4 program account shall be established within the county
2 5 commissions of veteran affairs fund. Any moneys
2 6 remaining in the fund after the allocations under
2 7 subsection 3 shall be credited to the account and used
2 8 by the department to fund the county commission of
2 9 veteran affairs training program under section 35A.17.
2 10 Sec. 3. NEW SECTION. 35A.17 COUNTY COMMISSION OF
2 11 VETERAN AFFAIRS TRAINING PROGRAM.
2 12 1. A county commission of veteran affairs training
2 13 program is created under the control of the department
2 14 for the purpose of providing training, certification,
2 15 and accreditation opportunities for county commissions
2 16 of veteran affairs executive directors,
2 17 administrators, and employees.
2 18 2. The department may receive and accept
2 19 donations, grants, gifts, and contributions from any
2 20 public or private source for the purpose of providing
2 21 training opportunities under this section. All funds
2 22 received by the department shall be deposited in the
2 23 county commission of veteran affairs training program
2 24 account established in section 35A.16, subsection 4.
2 25 3. a. The department shall use funds deposited in
2 26 the county commission of veteran affairs training
2 27 program account to organize statewide or regional
2 28 training conferences and provide training,
2 29 certification, and accreditation opportunities for
2 30 county commissions of veteran affairs executive
2 31 directors, administrators, and employees, consistent
2 32 with the requirements of section 35A.5, subsection 9.
2 33 b. During the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2009,
2 34 the department shall use account funds to arrange for
2 35 an accreditation course by the national association of
2 36 county veteran service officers to take place within
2 37 the state.
2 38 c. The department may use account funds to hire an
2 39 agency, organization, or other entity to provide
2 40 training or educational programming, reimburse county
2 41 executive directors, administrators, and employees for
2 42 transportation costs related to a conference or
2 43 program, or both.
2 44 4. The department shall adopt rules, pursuant to
2 45 chapter 17A, deemed necessary for the administration
2 46 of the county commission of veteran affairs training
2 47 program.
2 48 Sec. 4. Section 35B.6, subsection 1, Code 2007, is
2 49 amended to read as follows:
2 50 1. a. The members of the commission shall qualify
3 1 by taking the usual oath of office, and give bond in
3 2 the sum of five hundred dollars each, conditioned for
3 3 the faithful discharge of their duties with sureties
3 4 to be approved by the county auditor. The commission
3 5 shall organize by the selection of one of their
3 6 members as chairperson, and one as secretary. The
3 7 commission, subject to the approval of the board of
3 8 supervisors, shall have power to employ an executive
3 9 director or administrator and shall have the power to
3 10 employ other necessary employees when needed,
3 11 including administrative or clerical assistants when
3 12 needed, the. The compensation of such employees to
3 13 shall be fixed by the board of supervisors, but no
3 14 member of the commission shall be so employed. The
3 15 executive director must possess the same
3 16 qualifications as provided in section 35B.3 for
3 17 commission members. However, this qualification
3 18 requirement shall not apply to a person employed as an
3 19 executive director prior to July 1, 1989.
3 20 b. The commission may employ an administrator in
3 21 lieu of an executive director. Administrators shall
3 22 not be required to meet all the qualifications
3 23 provided in section 35B.3 for commissioners. An
3 24 administrator may hold another position within the
3 25 county or other government entity while serving as an
3 26 administrator only if such position does not adversely
3 27 affect the administrator's duties under this chapter.
3 28 b. c. Upon the employment of an executive
3 29 director or administrator, the executive director or
3 30 administrator shall complete a course of initial
3 31 certification training provided by the department of
3 32 veterans affairs pursuant to section 35A.5. If an
3 33 executive director or administrator fails to obtain
3 34 certification within one year of being employed, the
3 35 executive director or administrator shall be removed
3 36 from office. If an executive director is not
3 37 appointed, a A commissioner or a clerical assistant
3 38 shall other commission employee may also complete the
3 39 course of certification training. The department
3 40 shall issue the executive director, administrator,
3 41 commissioner, or clerical assistant employee a
3 42 certificate of training after completion of the
3 43 initial certification training course. To maintain
3 44 annual certification, the executive director,
3 45 administrator, commissioner, or clerical assistant
3 46 employee shall attend one department training course
3 47 each year satisfy the continuing education
3 48 requirements established by the national association
3 49 of county veteran service officers. Failure of an
3 50 executive director or administrator to maintain
4 1 certification may shall be cause for removal from
4 2 office. The expenses of training the executive
4 3 director or administrator shall be paid from the
4 4 appropriation authorized in section 35B.14.
4 5 d. The duties of the executive director,
4 6 administrator, and employees shall include all of the
4 7 following:
4 8 (1) Inform members of the armed forces, veterans,
4 9 and their dependents of all federal, state, and local
4 10 laws enacted for their benefit.
4 11 (2) Assist all residents of the state who served
4 12 in the armed forces of the United States and their
4 13 relatives, beneficiaries, and dependents in receiving
4 14 from the United States and this state any and all
4 15 compensation, pensions, hospitalization, insurance,
4 16 education, employment pay and gratuities, loan
4 17 guarantees, or any other aid or benefit to which they
4 18 may be entitled under any law.
4 19 e. The department of veterans affairs or county
4 20 veteran affairs offices shall not charge for any
4 21 service provided to any individual.
4 22 Sec. 5. Section 35B.6, subsection 2, Code 2007, is
4 23 amended to read as follows:
4 24 2. Two or more boards of supervisors may agree,
4 25 pursuant to chapter 28E, to share the services of an
4 26 executive director or administrator. The agreement
4 27 shall provide for the establishment of a commission of
4 28 veteran affairs office in each of the counties
4 29 participating in the agreement.
4 30 Sec. 6. Section 35B.6, subsection 4, Code 2007, is
4 31 amended by striking the subsection and inserting in
4 32 lieu thereof the following:
4 33 4. a. Each county commission of veteran affairs
4 34 shall maintain an office in a building owned,
4 35 operated, or leased by the county.
4 36 b. An executive director or administrator employed
4 37 pursuant to subsection 1 shall provide veterans
4 38 services for the following minimum number of hours
4 39 each week:
4 40 (1) For a county with a population of thirty
4 41 thousand or less, no fewer than twenty hours per week.
4 42 (2) For a county with a population of more than
4 43 thirty thousand and less than sixty thousand, no fewer
4 44 than thirty hours per week.
4 45 (3) For a county with a population of sixty
4 46 thousand or more, no fewer than forty hours per week.
4 47 c. Counties sharing the services of an executive
4 48 director or administrator shall consider the aggregate
4 49 population of such counties when determining the
4 50 number of hours of service required under paragraph
5 1 "b". The number of hours shall be allocated between
5 2 the counties in the proportion that the population of
5 3 each county bears to the aggregate population.
5 4 d. The hours that the office established under
5 5 paragraph "a", is open shall be posted in a prominent
5 6 position outside the office.
5 7 Sec. 7. Section 35B.14, Code 2007, is amended to
5 8 read as follows:
5 9 35B.14 COUNTY APPROPRIATION.
5 10 1. The board of supervisors of each county may
5 11 appropriate moneys for training an executive director
5 12 or administrator as provided for in section 35B.6, the
5 13 food, clothing, shelter, utilities, medical benefits,
5 14 and funeral expenses of indigent veterans, as defined
5 15 in section 35.1, and their indigent spouses, surviving
5 16 spouses, and minor children not over eighteen years of
5 17 age, having a legal residence in the county.
5 18 2. The appropriation shall be expended by the
5 19 joint action and control of the board of supervisors
5 20 and the county commission of veteran affairs.
5 21 Sec. 8. STATE MANDATE FUNDING SPECIFIED. In
5 22 accordance with section 25B.2, subsection 3, the state
5 23 cost of requiring compliance with any state mandate
5 24 included in this Act shall be moneys appropriated in
5 25 this Act and shall be deemed to meet all the state
5 26 funding=related requirements of section 25B.2,
5 27 subsection 3, and no specific state funding shall be
5 28 necessary for the full implementation of this Act by
5 29 and enforcement of this Act against all affected
5 30 political subdivisions.
5 31 Sec. 9. EFFECTIVE DATE. This Act takes effect on
5 32 July 1, 2009.>
5 33 #2. Title page, by striking lines 1 through 3 and
5 34 inserting the following:
5 35 <An Act relating to veterans affairs by modifying
5 36 training requirements, requiring executive directors
5 37 and administrators to provide minimum hours of service
5 38 in each county, specifying executive director,
5 39 administrator, and employee duties, creating a county
5 40 commission of veteran affairs training program,
5 41 creating a county commissions of veteran affairs fund,
5 42 providing an appropriation, and providing an effective
5 43 date.>
5 44
5 45
5 46
5 47 COMMITTEE ON VETERANS AFFAIRS
5 48 ZIRKELBACH of Jones, CHAIRPERSON
5 49 SF 2134.502 82
5 50 md/rj/12247
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