House File 2499 - Reprinted HOUSE FILE 2499 BY COMMITTEE ON VETERANS AFFAIRS (SUCCESSOR TO HSB 724) (As Amended and Passed by the House March 3, 2010 ) A BILL FOR An Act relating to veterans records by requiring county 1 recorders to provide copies of certain records to the 2 department of veterans affairs and the county commission of 3 veterans affairs and by requiring the department of veterans 4 affairs to provide copies of certain discharge documents to 5 the county commissions of veteran affairs. 6 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 7 HF 2499 (6) 83 md/sc/mb
H.F. 2499 Section 1. Section 35A.5, Code Supplement 2009, is amended 1 by adding the following new subsection: 2 NEW SUBSECTION . 14A. a. Provide a copy of the certificate 3 of release or discharge from active duty to the county 4 commission of veteran affairs for the county where the released 5 or discharged individual resides within thirty days of 6 receiving the certificate of release or discharge from active 7 duty from the applicable branch of service. 8 b. A certificate of release or discharge from active duty 9 that is received by the department shall be considered a 10 confidential record for purposes of chapter 22 and shall only 11 be made available pursuant to paragraph “a” , unless otherwise 12 authorized by law in connection with the department’s official 13 duties. The county commission of veteran affairs and its 14 employees or agents shall be subject to the same state and 15 federal confidentiality restrictions and requirements that are 16 imposed on the department. 17 Sec. 2. Section 331.608, subsection 6, paragraph e, Code 18 Supplement 2009, is amended to read as follows: 19 e. When otherwise required by a department or agency of 20 the federal or state government or a political subdivision. 21 The recorder shall make these records available to the 22 department of veterans affairs and the county commission of 23 veteran affairs . For records recorded before, on, or after 24 the effective date of this Act, the recorder shall provide a 25 copy of each such record to the county commission of veteran 26 affairs and to the department of veterans affairs. Copies of 27 records recorded before the effective date of this Act shall be 28 provided not later than January 1, 2011. For records recorded 29 on or after the effective date of this Act, such copies shall 30 be provided within thirty days of recording. The department of 31 veterans affairs and its employees and the county commission of 32 veteran affairs and its employees shall be subject to the same 33 state and federal confidentiality restrictions and requirements 34 that are imposed on the recorder. 35 -1- HF 2499 (6) 83 md/sc/mb 1/ 1