Bill Text: IA SSB3126 | 2023-2024 | 90th General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: A bill for an act relating to qualifications of commissioners, executive directors, and administrators of county commissions of veteran affairs.
Spectrum: Committee Bill
Status: (Introduced) 2024-01-30 - Subcommittee: Reichman, Dotzler, and Salmon. [SSB3126 Detail]
Download: Iowa-2023-SSB3126-Introduced.html
Senate
Study
Bill
3126
-
Introduced
SENATE/HOUSE
FILE
_____
BY
(PROPOSED
DEPARTMENT
OF
VETERANS
AFFAIRS
BILL)
A
BILL
FOR
An
Act
relating
to
qualifications
of
commissioners,
executive
1
directors,
and
administrators
of
county
commissions
of
2
veteran
affairs.
3
BE
IT
ENACTED
BY
THE
GENERAL
ASSEMBLY
OF
THE
STATE
OF
IOWA:
4
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Section
1.
Section
35A.5,
subsection
9,
Code
2024,
is
1
amended
by
striking
the
subsection
and
inserting
in
lieu
2
thereof
the
following:
3
9.
Verify
each
executive
director
and
administrator
of
a
4
county
commission
of
veteran
affairs
is
fully
qualified
to
work
5
in
the
person’s
position.
Qualifications
include
but
are
not
6
limited
to
all
of
the
following:
7
a.
The
person
has
obtained
certification
that
is
federally
8
required
for
the
executive
director’s
or
administrator’s
9
position
within
twelve
months
of
beginning
the
person’s
10
employment.
11
b.
The
person
has
obtained
a
personal
identification
12
verification
card
necessary
to
access
the
veterans
benefits
13
management
system
within
twelve
months
of
beginning
the
14
person’s
employment.
15
c.
The
person
maintains
certification
that
is
federally
16
required
for
the
executive
director’s
or
administrator’s
17
position.
18
d.
The
person
maintains
an
active
personal
identification
19
verification
card
and
has
access
to
the
veterans
benefits
20
management
system.
21
e.
The
person
is
proficient
in
the
use
of
electronic
22
mail,
general
computer
use,
and
use
of
the
internet
to
access
23
information
regarding
facilities,
benefits,
and
services
24
available
to
veterans
and
their
families.
25
Sec.
2.
Section
35A.16,
subsection
3,
paragraph
a,
Code
26
2024,
is
amended
to
read
as
follows:
27
a.
If
sufficient
moneys
are
available,
the
department
28
shall
annually
allocate
ten
thousand
dollars
to
each
county
29
commission
of
veteran
affairs,
or
to
each
county
sharing
the
30
services
of
an
executive
director
or
administrator
pursuant
31
to
chapter
28E
,
to
be
used
to
provide
services
to
veterans
32
pursuant
to
section
35B.6
and
to
provide
for
and
maintain
33
accreditation
in
accordance
with
the
policies
and
procedures
of
34
the
United
States
department
of
veterans
affairs
.
Each
county
35
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receiving
an
allocation
shall
annually
report
on
expenditure
of
1
the
allocation
in
a
form
agreed
to
by
the
department
and
county
2
representatives.
3
Sec.
3.
Section
35A.17,
subsection
1,
Code
2024,
is
amended
4
to
read
as
follows:
5
1.
A
county
commission
of
veteran
affairs
training
program
6
is
created
under
the
control
of
the
department
for
the
purpose
7
of
providing
training,
certification,
and
accreditation
8
opportunities
for
county
commissions
of
veteran
affairs
9
commissioners,
executive
directors,
administrators,
and
10
employees.
11
Sec.
4.
Section
35A.17,
subsection
3,
paragraph
a,
Code
12
2024,
is
amended
to
read
as
follows:
13
a.
The
department
shall
use
funds
deposited
in
the
county
14
commission
of
veteran
affairs
training
program
account
to
15
organize
statewide
or
regional
training
conferences
and
provide
16
training,
certification,
and
accreditation
opportunities
for
17
county
commissions
of
veteran
affairs
commissioners,
executive
18
directors,
administrators,
and
employees,
consistent
with
the
19
requirements
of
section
35A.5,
subsection
9
.
20
Sec.
5.
Section
35B.6,
subsection
1,
paragraph
c,
Code
2024,
21
is
amended
to
read
as
follows:
22
c.
(1)
Upon
the
employment
of
an
executive
director
or
23
administrator,
the
executive
director
or
administrator
shall
24
complete
a
course
of
for
the
purpose
of
obtaining
certification
25
training
provided
by
the
department
of
veterans
affairs
26
pursuant
to
section
35A.5
federally
required
for
the
person’s
27
position
and
a
personal
identification
verification
card
28
necessary
to
access
the
veterans
benefits
management
system
.
29
If
an
executive
director
or
administrator
fails
to
obtain
30
certification
or
a
personal
identification
verification
card
31
within
one
year
of
being
employed,
the
executive
director
or
32
administrator
shall
be
removed
from
office.
The
department
33
shall
issue
the
executive
director
or
administrator
a
34
certificate
of
training
after
completion
of
the
certification
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training
course.
To
maintain
certification,
the
Upon
a
1
request
from
a
county
commission
of
veteran
affairs
and
based
2
on
extenuating
circumstances,
the
commandant
of
the
Iowa
3
department
of
veterans
affairs
may
extend
the
time
frame
for
4
an
executive
director
or
administrator
to
obtain
a
personal
5
identification
verification
card.
6
(2)
An
executive
director
or
administrator
shall
satisfy
7
the
continuing
education
requirements
established
by
the
8
national
association
of
county
veterans
service
officers
and
9
the
United
States
department
of
veterans
affairs
.
Failure
10
of
an
executive
director
or
administrator
to
maintain
11
certification
shall
be
cause
for
removal
from
office.
The
12
expenses
of
training
the
executive
director
or
administrator
13
shall
be
paid
from
the
appropriation
authorized
in
section
14
35B.14
.
15
(3)
An
executive
director
or
administrator
shall
satisfy
16
the
continuing
education
requirements
necessary
to
maintain
an
17
active
personal
identification
verification
card
and
access
18
to
the
veterans
benefits
management
system.
Failure
of
an
19
executive
director
or
administrator
to
maintain
certification
20
and
access
to
the
veterans
benefits
management
system
shall
be
21
cause
for
removal
from
office.
22
EXPLANATION
23
The
inclusion
of
this
explanation
does
not
constitute
agreement
with
24
the
explanation’s
substance
by
the
members
of
the
general
assembly.
25
This
bill
replaces
the
Iowa
department
of
veterans
affairs’
26
(IDVA)
duty
to
provide
certification
training
to
executive
27
directors
and
administrators
of
county
commissions
of
veteran
28
affairs
(CCVA)
with
the
duty
to
verify
each
executive
director
29
and
administrator
of
a
CCVA
is
fully
qualified
to
work
in
the
30
person’s
position.
Such
qualifications
include
but
are
not
31
limited
to
obtaining
certification
that
is
federally
required
32
for
the
executive
director’s
or
administrator’s
position
within
33
12
months
of
beginning
the
person’s
employment;
obtaining
a
34
personal
identification
verification
(PIV)
card
necessary
to
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access
the
veterans
benefits
management
system
(VBMS)
within
1
12
months
of
beginning
the
person’s
employment;
maintaining
2
certification
that
is
federally
required
for
the
executive
3
director’s
or
administrator’s
position;
maintaining
an
active
4
PIV
card
and
access
to
VBMS;
and
having
proficiency
in
the
5
use
of
electronic
mail,
general
computer
use,
and
use
of
the
6
internet
to
access
information
regarding
facilities,
benefits,
7
and
services
available
to
veterans
and
their
families.
8
The
bill
requires
a
CCVA
executive
director
or
administrator
9
to
complete
a
course
for
the
purpose
of
obtaining
certification
10
federally
required
for
the
person’s
position
and
a
PIV
11
card
necessary
to
access
VBMS.
If
an
executive
director
or
12
administrator
fails
to
obtain
certification
or
a
PIV
card
13
within
one
year
of
being
employed,
the
executive
director
14
or
administrator
shall
be
removed
from
office
unless
the
15
deadline
is
extended
upon
the
CCVA’s
request
and
the
approval
16
of
the
commandant
of
the
IDVA.
Under
current
law,
the
IDVA
is
17
required
to
provide
the
training
and
issue
a
certificate
of
18
completion.
19
The
bill
also
adds
CCVA
commissioners
to
those
who
may
20
receive
training
under
the
county
commission
of
veteran
affairs
21
training
program.
22
The
bill
requires
an
executive
director
or
administrator
23
to
satisfy
the
continuing
education
requirements
established
24
by
the
United
States
department
of
veterans
affairs
and
the
25
requirements
necessary
to
maintain
an
active
PIV
card
and
26
access
to
the
VBMS.
Failure
of
an
executive
director
or
27
administrator
to
maintain
certification
and
access
to
VBMS
28
shall
be
cause
for
removal
from
office.
29
By
operation
of
law,
the
bill
affects
the
report
that
the
30
IDVA
must
submit
under
Code
section
35A.5
(IDVA
duties)
and
31
the
obligations
that
a
county
must
meet
for
funding
under
Code
32
section
35A.16
(CCVA
fund).
33
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