SF 93 (LSB 1117XS (4) 91)

RELATING TO QUALIFICATIONS TO SERVE AS A COMMISSIONER  OR AN EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR A COUNTY COMMISSION OF VETERAN  AFFAIRS. 

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:

    Section 1.  Section 35B.3, Code 2025, is amended to read as follows:
   35B.3  County commission of veteran affairs.
   1.  The county commission of veteran affairs shall consist of either three or five persons, as determined by the board of supervisors, all of whom shall be veterans one of the following: 

   a.  A veteran as defined in section 35.1.
   b.  An Iowa resident who is a current member of the Iowa national guard or an Iowa unit of the reserve forces of the United States, whose service is satisfactory according to a letter of recommendation from the commander of the person’s current unit.
   c.  An Iowa resident who is a former member of the Iowa national guard or an Iowa unit of the reserve forces of the United States and was discharged under honorable conditions as evidenced by the person’s certificate of release or discharge from active duty, commonly referred to as a DD214, or a letter of recommendation from the commander of the person’s last unit.
   2.  If possible, each member of the commission shall be a veteran of have served in a different military branch. However, this qualification does not preclude membership to a veteran who served in more than one branch of the military.
    Sec. 2.  Section 35B.6, subsection 1, paragraph a, Code 2025, is amended to read as follows:
   a.  The members of the commission shall qualify by taking the usual oath of office. The commission shall organize by selecting one of the commission members as chairperson and one as secretary. The commission, subject to the annual approval of the board of supervisors, shall employ an executive director or administrator who shall have the power to employ other necessary employees to carry out the provisions of this chapter, including administrative or clerical assistants, but no member of the commission shall be so employed. The state department of veterans affairs shall recognize the executive director or administrator as a county veterans service officer of a veterans’ service organization recognized pursuant to 38 C.F.R. §14.628(c) for the purposes of assisting veterans and their dependents in obtaining federal and state benefits. The commission shall recommend the compensation of the executive director or administrator and all employees of the county veteran affairs office to the board of supervisors. The board of supervisors shall consider the recommendation and shall determine and approve the compensation of the executive director or administrator and all employees of the county veteran affairs office. The executive director must possess the same qualifications as provided in section 35B.3 for commission members shall be a veteran as defined in section 35.1. However, this qualification requirement shall not apply to a person employed as an executive director prior to July 1, 1989.

______________________________
AMY SINCLAIR
President of the Senate

______________________________
PAT GRASSLEY
Speaker of the House

   I hereby certify that this bill originated in the Senate and is known as Senate File 93, Ninety-first General Assembly.

______________________________
W. CHARLES SMITHSON
Secretary of the Senate

Approved _______________, 2026

______________________________
KIM REYNOLDS
Governor