House File 2279 - Introduced HOUSE FILE 2279 BY BODEN A BILL FOR An Act relating to driver’s licenses marked to reflect veteran 1 status. 2 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 3 TLSB 5327YH (1) 91 th/ns
H.F. 2279 Sec. 2. Section 321.189, subsection 8, Code 2026, is amended 1 to read as follows: 2 8. Veterans Veteran status. A licensee who is an honorably 3 discharged veteran of the armed forces of the United States may 4 request that the license be marked to reflect the licensee’s 5 veteran status. Upon such a request, the word “VETERAN” shall 6 be marked prominently on the face of the license. Such a 7 license shall be issued upon receipt of satisfactory proof 8 of veteran status pursuant to procedures established by the 9 department in consultation with the department of veterans 10 affairs, or upon presentation of the licensee’s certification 11 of release or discharge from active duty, DD form 214, to 12 the department at the time of the licensee’s request, if the 13 form indicates the licensee was honorably discharged. If 14 the license is issued upon presentation of the licensee’s 15 certification of release or discharge from active duty, DD form 16 214, the department shall notify the commission of veteran 17 affairs of the county of the licensee’s residence that the 18 licensee was issued a license marked to reflect the licensee’s 19 veteran status. After receiving notification from the 20 department, the commission of veteran affairs shall initiate 21 contact with the licensee. For purposes of this subsection, 22 “veteran” includes but is not limited to a person who served 23 in the national guard, regardless of the number of active duty 24 service days served by the person. 25 EXPLANATION 26 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 27 the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly. 28 Under current law, a person who is an honorably discharged 29 veteran of the armed forces of the United States may request 30 that the person’s driver’s license be marked to reflect 31 the person’s status as a veteran. “Veteran” is not defined 32 for purposes of this provision. Under 761 IAC 605.4(7)(e), 33 the department of transportation (DOT) has provided, for 34 purposes of driver’s license veteran status, that a veteran 35 -1- LSB 5327YH (1) 91 th/ns 1/ 2
H.F. 2279 includes, among other persons, an honorably discharged member 1 of the national guard or reserve forces who served for at 2 least a minimum aggregate of 90 days of active duty service 3 for purposes other than training. The DOT’s rule generally 4 reflects the definition of “veteran” under Code section 5 35.1 for purposes of veterans affairs, which definition is 6 also referenced in many places throughout the Code to define 7 “veteran”. 8 The bill provides that, for purposes of driver’s license 9 veteran status, “veteran” includes a person who served in the 10 national guard, regardless of the number of active duty service 11 days served by the person. 12 -2- LSB 5327YH (1) 91 th/ns 2/ 2