Veterans Affairs

This bill (SF 93) sets specific qualifications for members of Iowa county veteran affairs commissions and their executive directors. It requires all commission members to be veterans meeting one of three criteria: (1) a veteran as defined in Iowa law, (2) an active Iowa National Guard/reserve member with a unit recommendation, or (3) a former Guard/reserve member with an honorable discharge (DD214 or letter). The executive director must also meet these same veteran qualifications, except for those hired before July 1, 1989. The bill directly affects county-level veteran affairs leadership positions across Iowa.

HF 2132 would require Iowa's public universities (regents institutions) to waive all tuition and mandatory fees for veterans with a 100% service-connected disability rating certified by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. To qualify, veterans must apply for admission, have exhausted all other federal or state financial aid (like Pell Grants or VA education benefits), and not receive other assistance covering their tuition costs. The bill mandates that institutions prorate the waiver to cover only the gap between other aid received and the full tuition/fees amount. This policy directly affects eligible veterans seeking higher education at Iowa's public universities.

SF 152 allows the Department of Transportation (DOT) to waive the driving skills test and certain physical exams for eligible military personnel applying for a state driver's license. This applies to individuals currently on active duty or those separated from service within the past year. To qualify for the waiver, applicants must certify they've held only a military license for two years, maintained a clear driving record, and have recent military experience operating motor vehicles. They would still need to pass an eyesight screening, a highway sign recognition test, and a written test on state traffic laws, and would be exempt from driver education requirements.

This bill establishes Iowa's Veterans Traumatic Brain Injury Recovery Program, creating a state fund to reimburse veterans for specialized oxygen therapy (hyperbaric oxygen treatment) used to treat diagnosed traumatic brain injury or PTSD. It directly affects Iowa veterans with these conditions who receive treatment at approved facilities, ensuring they pay no costs for the therapy. The program requires veterans' service organizations to submit approved treatment plans detailing medical necessity and costs, with reimbursement coming from the new fund - financed through state appropriations and other designated sources - after health improvements are verified. The Iowa Department of Veterans Affairs administers the program, tracks participation, and reports annually on its effectiveness.

HF 2478 designates a 5-mile segment of U.S. Highway 30 within Marshalltown's corporate limits as the "Staff Sergeant William Nathaniel Howard Highway" in honor of an Iowa Army National Guard veteran who died in Syria in 2025. The bill permanently applies this designation to that specific highway segment, regardless of future changes to the highway's federal designation. This is a naming resolution with no new funding or regulatory changes, solely recognizing the veteran through official highway signage.