HF 2364 (LSB 6058HV (1) 84)

HOUSE FILE 2364

BY  COMMITTEE ON VETERANS AFFAIRS

(SUCCESSOR TO HSB 640)

A BILL FOR

An Act requiring that a veteran be seriously injured or very seriously injured in order to be eligible to receive a grant under the injured veterans grant program.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:

    Section 1.  Section 35A.14, subsection 4, Code Supplement 2011, is amended to read as follows:
   4.  Moneys appropriated to or received by the department for providing injured veterans grants under this section may be expended for grants of up to ten thousand dollars to a
 
veteran who is seriously injured veteran
 
or very seriously injured, as defined in the most recently published United States department of defense joint publication 1-02, to provide financial assistance to the veteran so that family members of the veteran may be with the veteran during the veteran’s recovery from an injury received in the line of duty in a combat zone or in a zone where the veteran was receiving hazardous duty pay after September 11, 2001.
EXPLANATION
   This bill requires that a veteran be seriously injured or very seriously injured in order to be eligible to receive a grant under the injured veterans grant program. The bill provides that the terms “seriously injured” and “very seriously injured” shall be as defined in the most recently published United States department of defense joint publication 1-02.
   The United States department of defense joint publication 1-02, as published on January 15, 2012, defines “seriously injured” as the casualty status of a person whose injury is classified by medical authority to be of such severity that there is cause for immediate concern, but there is not imminent danger to life. The joint publication defines “very seriously injured” as the casualty status of a person whose injury is classified by medical authority to be of such severity that life is imminently endangered.