35B.6 - QUALIFICATION -- TRAINING -- OFFICES. - Iowa Statutes

35B.6 QUALIFICATION -- TRAINING -- OFFICES. 1. a. The members of the commission shall qualify by taking the usual oath of office, and give bond in the sum of five hundred dollars each, conditioned for the faithful discharge of their duties with sureties to be approved by the county auditor. The commission shall organize by the selection of one of their members as chairperson and one as secretary. The commission, subject to the approval of the board of supervisors, shall employ an executive director or administrator and shall have the power to employ other necessary employees when needed, including administrative or clerical assistants, but no member of the commission shall be so employed. The compensation of such employees shall be fixed by the board of supervisors. The executive director must possess the same qualifications as provided in section 35B.3 for commission members. However, this qualification requirement shall not apply to a person employed as an executive director prior to July 1, 1989. b. The commission may employ an administrator in lieu of an executive director. Administrators shall not be required to meet all the qualifications provided in section 35B.3 for commissioners. An administrator may hold another position within the county or other government entity while serving as an administrator only if such position does not adversely affect the administrator's duties under this chapter. c. Upon the employment of an executive director or administrator, the executive director or administrator shall complete a course of certification training provided by the department of veterans affairs pursuant to section 35A.5. If an executive director or administrator fails to obtain certification within one year of being employed, the executive director or administrator shall be removed from office. A commissioner or other commission employee may also complete the course of certification training. The department shall issue the executive director, administrator, commissioner, or employee a certificate of training after completion of the certification training course. To maintain certification, the executive director, administrator, commissioner, or employee shall satisfy the continuing education requirements established by the national association of county veteran service officers. Failure of an executive director or administrator to maintain certification shall be cause for removal from office. The expenses of training the executive director or administrator shall be paid from the appropriation authorized in section 35B.14. d. The duties of the executive director, administrator, and employees shall include all of the following: (1) Inform members of the armed forces, veterans, and their dependents of all federal, state, and local laws enacted for their benefit. (2) Assist all residents of the state who served in the armed forces of the United States and their relatives, beneficiaries, and dependents in receiving from the United States and this state any and all compensation, pensions, hospitalization, insurance, education, employment pay and gratuities, loan guarantees, or any other aid or benefit to which they may be entitled under any law. e. The department of veterans affairs or county veteran affairs offices shall not charge for any service provided to any individual. 2. Two or more boards of supervisors may agree, pursuant to chapter 28E, to share the services of an executive director or administrator. The agreement shall provide for the establishment of a commission of veteran affairs office in each of the counties participating in the agreement. 3. The commission with the approval of the board of supervisors shall appoint one of the deputies of the county auditor to serve as administrative assistant to the commission, to serve without additional compensation, unless for good reasons shown, this arrangement is not feasible. 4. a. Each county commission of veteran affairs shall maintain an office in a building owned, operated, or leased by the county. b. An executive director or administrator employed pursuant to subsection 1 shall provide veterans services for the following minimum number of hours each week: (1) For a county with a population of thirty thousand or less, no fewer than twenty hours per week. (2) For a county with a population of more than thirty thousand and less than sixty thousand, no fewer than thirty hours per week. (3) For a county with a population of sixty thousand or more, no fewer than forty hours per week. c. Counties sharing the services of an executive director or administrator shall provide the number of hours of service required under paragraph "b" for each county. d. The hours that the office established under paragraph "a" is open shall be posted in a prominent position outside the office.          Section History: Early Form [C97, § 431; C24, 27, 31, 35, § 5389; C39, § 3828.056; C46, 50, 54, 58, 62, 66, 71, 73, 75, 77, 79, 81, § 250.6; 81 Acts, ch 33, § 5]          Section History: Recent Form 89 Acts, ch 248, § 1; 92 Acts, ch 1075, § 2 C93, § 35B.6 94 Acts, ch 1107, §4; 2005 Acts, ch 115, §17, 40; 2008 Acts, ch 1130, §4--6, 10; 2009 Acts, ch 4, §2; 2009 Acts, ch 133, §188 Referred to in § 35A.5, 35A.16, 35B.14, 331.502 Oath, § 63.10