HF 2143 (LSB 5761YH (2) 90)

HOUSE FILE 2143

BY  INGELS

A BILL FOR

An Act relating to the membership of the commission of veterans affairs.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:

    Section 1.  Section 35A.2, subsections 1 and 2, Code 2024, are amended to read as follows:
   1.  A commission of veterans affairs is created consisting of eleven twelve persons who shall be appointed by the governor, subject to confirmation by the senate. Members shall be appointed to staggered terms of four years beginning and ending as provided in section 69.19. The governor shall fill a vacancy for the unexpired portion of the term. In addition to the members appointed by the governor, the commandant shall serve as a nonvoting, ex officio member of the commission.
   2.  Ten Eleven commissioners shall be honorably discharged members of the armed forces of the United States. The American legion of Iowa, disabled American veterans department of Iowa, veterans of foreign wars department of Iowa, American veterans of World War II, Korea, and Vietnam, the Vietnam veterans of America, the military order of the purple heart, the paralyzed veterans of America, the marine corps league, and the Iowa association of county commissioners and veteran service officers, through their department commanders, shall submit two names respectively from their organizations to the governor. The adjutant general and the Iowa affiliate of the reserve officers association shall submit names to the governor of persons to represent the Iowa national guard and the association. The governor shall appoint from the group of names submitted by the adjutant general and reserve officers association two representatives and from each of the other organizations one representative to serve as a member of the commission, unless the appointments would conflict with the bipartisan and gender balance provisions of sections 69.16 and 69.16A. In addition, the governor shall appoint one member of the public, knowledgeable in the general field of veterans affairs, to serve on the commission.
EXPLANATION
The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with
the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly.
   This bill adds a 12th member to the commission of veterans affairs and requires that the marine corps league recommend for the position two of its members to the governor, who will appoint one, subject to confirmation by the senate.