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House
File
2467
-
Introduced
HOUSE
FILE
2467
BY
COMMITTEE
ON
VETERANS
AFFAIRS
(SUCCESSOR
TO
HF
2180)
A
BILL
FOR
An
Act
establishing
a
service
animal
training
grant
program
for
1
veterans,
providing
fees,
and
making
appropriations.
2
BE
IT
ENACTED
BY
THE
GENERAL
ASSEMBLY
OF
THE
STATE
OF
IOWA:
3
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Section
1.
Section
35A.13,
Code
2026,
is
amended
by
adding
1
the
following
new
subsection:
2
NEW
SUBSECTION
.
14.
There
is
appropriated
from
the
general
3
fund
of
the
state
to
the
department
for
the
fiscal
year
4
beginning
July
1,
2026,
and
each
fiscal
year
thereafter,
the
5
sum
of
sixty-one
thousand
dollars
for
one
full-time
equivalent
6
position
to
administer
grant
programs
funded
by
the
veterans
7
trust
fund.
8
Sec.
2.
NEW
SECTION
.
35A.23
Service
animal
training
grant
9
program
——
appropriation.
10
1.
As
used
in
this
section,
unless
the
context
otherwise
11
requires:
12
a.
“Accredited
organization”
means
a
service
animal
training
13
organization
that
maintains
a
physical
operating
location
in
14
this
state
and
is
accredited
by
the
department
pursuant
to
15
rules
adopted
under
subsection
6.
16
b.
“Eligible
veteran”
means
a
resident
of
this
state
who
17
is
a
veteran,
as
defined
in
section
35.1,
and
who
meets
all
18
eligibility
requirements
established
by
the
department
for
19
participation
in
the
service
animal
training
grant
program
20
established
under
this
section.
21
c.
“Service
animal
training
services”
means
training,
22
placement,
and
related
services
provided
by
an
accredited
23
organization
to
support
an
eligible
veteran’s
use
of
a
service
24
animal
that
is
individually
trained
to
do
work
or
perform
tasks
25
for
the
benefit
of
the
veteran.
26
2.
A
service
animal
training
grant
program
is
established
27
under
the
administration
and
control
of
the
department
to
28
award
grants
to
eligible
veterans
to
pay
costs
associated
with
29
service
animal
training
services.
30
3.
For
the
fiscal
year
beginning
July
1,
2026,
and
each
31
fiscal
year
thereafter,
there
is
appropriated
from
the
32
veterans
trust
fund
created
in
section
35A.13
to
the
department
33
one
hundred
thousand
dollars
to
award
grants
under
the
34
service
animal
training
grant
program
and
to
pay
reasonable
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administrative
costs
of
the
department
associated
with
the
1
program.
Notwithstanding
section
8.33,
moneys
appropriated
2
in
this
section
that
remain
unencumbered
or
unobligated
at
3
the
close
of
a
fiscal
year
shall
not
revert
but
shall
be
4
distributed
equally
among
the
eligible
veterans
awarded
a
grant
5
in
that
fiscal
year.
6
4.
In
administering
the
program,
the
department
shall
grant
7
up
to
five
thousand
dollars
to
each
eligible
veteran.
An
8
eligible
veteran
shall
not
receive
more
than
one
grant
under
9
this
section
during
the
veteran’s
lifetime.
10
5.
a.
An
application
may
be
submitted
by
an
eligible
11
veteran,
on
behalf
of
an
eligible
veteran
by
an
accredited
12
organization
with
the
consent
of
the
eligible
veteran,
or
in
13
another
manner
provided
by
rule.
14
b.
The
department
shall
pay
the
grant
directly
to
the
15
accredited
organization
identified
in
the
approved
application
16
upon
the
eligible
veteran’s
receipt
of
the
service
animal.
17
c.
An
accredited
organization
shall
only
use
the
moneys
18
awarded
for
the
cost
of
service
animal
training
services
for
19
the
eligible
veteran.
20
d.
The
department
may
require
an
accredited
organization
21
to
certify
the
intended
use
of
grant
moneys
and
to
provide
22
documentation
demonstrating
provision
of
the
service
animal
23
training
services.
24
6.
a.
The
department
shall
adopt
rules
pursuant
to
chapter
25
17A
to
administer
this
section,
including
but
not
limited
to
26
rules
related
to
all
of
the
following:
27
(1)
Criteria
and
procedures
for
accreditation
and
renewal
28
of
accreditation
of
organizations,
including
accreditation
by
29
assistance
dogs
international,
inc.,
or
a
similar
organization,
30
minimum
training
standards,
consumer
protections,
and
proof
of
31
a
physical
operating
location
in
this
state.
32
(2)
Eligibility
requirements
for
veterans,
application
33
procedures,
prioritization
for
awarding
grants
if
requests
34
exceed
available
funding,
and
procedures
to
prevent
duplicate
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grants.
1
(3)
Recordkeeping,
reporting,
compliance
monitoring,
and
2
remedies
for
misuse
of
grant
moneys,
including
recoupment
when
3
appropriate.
4
b.
The
department
may
establish
a
one-time
fee
for
5
accredited
organizations
to
offset
administrative
costs.
The
6
department
may
also
require
an
organization
whose
accreditation
7
is
revoked
to
pay
a
fee
for
reaccreditation.
Fees
collected
8
by
the
department
under
this
paragraph
shall
be
considered
9
appropriated
receipts,
as
defined
in
section
8.2,
and
are
10
appropriated
to
the
department
for
reasonable
administrative
11
costs
associated
with
the
program.
12
7.
The
department
shall
coordinate
with
county
commissions
13
of
veteran
affairs,
county
veteran
service
officers,
and
other
14
statewide
veteran
service
organizations
to
conduct
outreach
and
15
assist
eligible
veterans
with
applications.
16
EXPLANATION
17
The
inclusion
of
this
explanation
does
not
constitute
agreement
with
18
the
explanation’s
substance
by
the
members
of
the
general
assembly.
19
This
bill
establishes
a
veterans
service
animal
training
20
grant
program
under
the
administration
of
the
department
of
21
veterans
affairs
(department)
for
the
purpose
of
providing
22
service
animal
training
services
to
eligible
veterans.
23
The
bill
annually
appropriates
$100,000
from
the
veterans
24
trust
fund
to
the
department
to
support
the
program.
Under
25
the
program,
an
eligible
veteran
may
receive
one
grant
in
26
the
veteran’s
lifetime
for
up
to
$5,000,
which
shall
be
27
paid
directly
to
the
accredited
organization
providing
the
28
service
animal
training
services.
Any
moneys
appropriated
29
for
the
grant
program
that
are
unencumbered
or
unobligated
30
at
the
close
of
a
fiscal
year
shall
be
distributed
equally
31
among
the
eligible
veterans
awarded
a
grant
in
that
32
fiscal
year.
The
department
may
charge
a
one-time
fee
to
33
accredited
organizations,
which
shall
be
used
for
reasonable
34
administrative
costs
associated
with
the
program.
The
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2467
department
may
require
an
organization
whose
accreditation
1
has
been
revoked
to
pay
a
fee
for
reaccreditation.
The
bill
2
requires
the
department
to
adopt
rules
for
implementing
and
3
administering
the
program
and
to
coordinate
with
veteran
4
service
organizations
to
conduct
outreach
and
assist
eligible
5
veterans
with
applications.
6
The
bill
annually
appropriates
$61,000
from
the
general
fund
7
of
the
state
to
the
department
for
one
full-time
equivalent
8
position
to
administer
grant
programs
funded
by
the
veterans
9
trust
fund.
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