Senate File 340 - Introduced SENATE FILE 340 BY COMMITTEE ON VETERANS AFFAIRS (SUCCESSOR TO SF 124) A BILL FOR An Act relating to the notification of a county commission of 1 veteran affairs of the incarceration of a veteran at a jail 2 or municipal holding facility. 3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 4 TLSB 2013SV (2) 88 mo/rn
S.F. 340 Section 1. Section 356.6A, subsection 1, Code 2019, is 1 amended to read as follows: 2 1. The personnel of a jail or municipal holding facility 3 shall inquire whether the prisoner is a veteran, and if 4 so, shall inform the prisoner, within twenty-four hours 5 of incarceration, that the prisoner may be entitled to a 6 visit from a veteran service officer to determine if veteran 7 services are required or available. The personnel of a jail or 8 municipal holding facility shall attempt to notify the county 9 commission of veteran affairs of the county where the jail or 10 facility is located of the incarceration of a veteran within 11 twenty-four hours of the veteran’s incarceration. Notice may 12 be communicated by a telephonically recorded message or by the 13 transmission of an electronic mail message. Within seventy-two 14 hours of determining a prisoner is a veteran incarceration , 15 the personnel of a jail or municipal holding facility shall 16 provide the prisoner with the contact information for the 17 county commission of veteran affairs of the county where the 18 jail or facility is located, and the prisoner shall be allowed 19 to contact the county commission of veteran affairs to request 20 a visit from a veteran service officer. 21 EXPLANATION 22 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 23 the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly. 24 This bill provides that a county commission be notified of 25 the incarceration of a veteran at a jail or municipal holding 26 facility. 27 Code section 356.6A(1) currently provides that the personnel 28 of a jail or municipal holding facility shall inquire whether a 29 prisoner is a veteran and, if so, shall inform the prisoner, 30 within 24 hours of the veteran’s incarceration, that the 31 prisoner may be entitled to a visit from a veteran service 32 officer to determine if veteran services are required or 33 available. The personnel of a jail or municipal holding 34 facility must also provide the prisoner, within 72 hours of the 35 -1- LSB 2013SV (2) 88 mo/rn 1/ 2
S.F. 340 veteran’s incarceration, with the contact information for the 1 county commission of veteran affairs of the county where the 2 jail or facility is located, and the prisoner shall be allowed 3 to contact the county commission of veteran affairs to request 4 a visit from a veteran service officer. 5 The bill provides that, within 24 hours of the veteran’s 6 incarceration, personnel of the jail or municipal holding 7 facility shall attempt to notify the county commission of 8 veteran affairs of the county where the jail or facility 9 is located of the incarceration of a veteran. Notice may 10 be communicated by a telephonically recorded message or by 11 transmission of an electronic mail message. A veteran is 12 defined as a person who was a member of the regular component 13 of the armed forces of the United States, national guard, or 14 reserves. 15 -2- LSB 2013SV (2) 88 mo/rn 2/ 2