House Study Bill 123 - Introduced HOUSE FILE _____ BY (PROPOSED COMMITTEE ON VETERANS AFFAIRS BILL BY CHAIRPERSON ALONS) A BILL FOR An Act relating to veterans preferences in certain appointments 1 made by counties and cities and making penalties applicable. 2 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 3 TLSB 1442YC (1) 85 aw/sc

H.F. _____ Section 1. Section 35C.1, subsection 1, Code 2013, is 1 amended to read as follows: 2 1. In every public department and upon all public works in 3 the state, and of the counties, cities, and school corporations 4 of the state, veterans who are citizens and residents of the 5 United States are entitled to preference in appointment and 6 employment over other applicants of no greater qualifications. 7 The preference in appointment and employment for deputy county 8 sheriffs is the same as provided in section 341A.8A. The 9 preference in appointment and employment for employees of 10 cities under a municipal civil service is the same as provided 11 in section 400.10 . For purposes of this section , “veteran” 12 means as defined in section 35.1 except that the requirement 13 that the person be a resident of this state shall not apply. 14 Sec. 2. NEW SECTION . 341A.6A Veteran eligibility. 15 If a veteran entitled to preference pursuant to section 16 341A.8A has been honorably discharged between forty-five 17 days before and sixty days after an examination or test is 18 administered under section 341A.6, the commission may allow 19 the veteran to be subject to such examination or testing up to 20 ninety days following the date that the original examination 21 or testing was conducted and if appropriate shall add the 22 veteran’s name and address to the eligibility list for a vacant 23 position pursuant to section 341A.13. 24 Sec. 3. NEW SECTION . 341A.8A Preferences. 25 In all examinations and appointments under this chapter, 26 veterans who are citizens and residents of the United States, 27 shall have five percentage points added to the veteran’s 28 grade or score attained in qualifying examinations or tests 29 for appointment to positions and five additional percentage 30 points added to the grade or score if the veteran has a 31 service-connected disability or is receiving compensation, 32 disability benefits, or pension under laws administered 33 by the United States department of veterans affairs. An 34 honorably discharged veteran who has been awarded the Purple 35 -1- LSB 1442YC (1) 85 aw/sc 1/ 3

H.F. _____ Heart incurred in action shall be considered to have a 1 service-connected disability. However, the percentage points 2 shall be given only upon passing the exam and shall not be the 3 determining factor in passing. Veteran’s preference percentage 4 points shall be applied once to the final scores used to rank 5 applicants for selection for an interview. For purposes of 6 this section, “veteran” means as defined in section 35.1 except 7 that the requirement that the person be a resident of this 8 state shall not apply. 9 Sec. 4. Section 400.10, Code 2013, is amended to read as 10 follows: 11 400.10 Preferences. 12 1. In all examinations and appointments under this chapter , 13 other than promotions and appointments of chief of the 14 police department and chief of the fire department, veterans 15 who are citizens and residents of the United States, shall 16 have five percentage points added to the veteran’s grade or 17 score attained in qualifying examinations for appointment 18 to positions and five additional percentage points added to 19 the grade or score if the veteran has a service-connected 20 disability or is receiving compensation, disability benefits, 21 or pension under laws administered by the United States 22 department of veterans affairs. An honorably discharged 23 veteran who has been awarded the Purple Heart incurred in 24 action shall be considered to have a service-connected 25 disability. However, the percentage points shall be given only 26 upon passing the exam and shall not be the determining factor 27 in passing. Veteran’s preference percentage points shall be 28 applied once to the final scores used to rank applicants for 29 selection for an interview. For purposes of this section , 30 “veteran” means as defined in section 35.1 except that the 31 requirement that the person be a resident of this state shall 32 not apply. 33 2. If a veteran entitled to preference pursuant to this 34 section has been honorably discharged between forty-five days 35 -2- LSB 1442YC (1) 85 aw/sc 2/ 3

H.F. _____ before and sixty days after an examination is administered 1 pursuant to section 400.8, the commission may allow the veteran 2 to be subject to examination up to ninety days following 3 the date the original examination was administered and if 4 appropriate shall add the veteran’s name to the list for 5 original appointment pursuant to section 400.11, subsection 1. 6 EXPLANATION 7 This bill relates to military veterans preferences in 8 certain appointments made by counties and cities. 9 The bill provides a preference of five percentage points 10 for veterans in the appointment of deputy sheriffs under 11 Code chapter 341A. The bill further provides an additional 12 preference of five percentage points for veterans with 13 service-connected disabilities and for veterans who have been 14 awarded the Purple Heart incurred in action. The bill also 15 provides that if a veteran is entitled to preference and has 16 been honorably discharged between 45 days before and 60 days 17 after an examination or a test is administered, the commission 18 may allow the veteran to be subject to such examination or 19 testing within 90 days following the original testing, and if 20 appropriate shall add the veteran’s name and address to the 21 eligibility list for vacant positions. 22 The bill also provides that if a veteran is entitled to 23 preference in city civil service employment and has been 24 honorably discharged between 45 days before and 60 days 25 after an examination is administered, the city civil service 26 commission may allow the veteran to be subject to such 27 examination within 90 days following the original examination, 28 and if appropriate shall add the veteran’s name to the list for 29 original appointment. 30 -3- LSB 1442YC (1) 85 aw/sc 3/ 3