Veterans Affairs Committee Report – week 9, 2017

SF 197 – Display of POW/MIA flag
SF 373 – Code of Military Justice conformation; statute of limitations expansion

 

FLOOR ACTION

SF 197 provides that a custodian of a public building may raise the POW/MIA flag on Armed Forces Day (the third Saturday in May), Memorial Day, Flag Day (June 14), Independence Day, Veterans Day and National POW/MIA Recognition Day (designated by presidential proclamation as the third Friday in September). If the POW/MIA flag is flown, it must be no larger than the U.S. flag, and flown second in order of precedence, directly underneath or adjacent to the U.S. flag.
[3/7: 49-0 (Bisignano absent)]

 

SF 373 is a recommendation by the Iowa Department of Public Defense. It provides that members of the National Guard or a military reserve unit in another state who are employed in Iowa have the same protections regarding nondiscrimination and reemployment as Iowa National Guard members.

The Iowa Code of Military Justice (ICMJ) is amended to stipulate that Code section 29B.1 applies to members of the state military forces when they are performing National Guard duty or state active duty. It also specifies that a military offense committed by one member of the state military forces during travel to or from the member’s duty location or during intervals between consecutive periods of duty on the same day or on consecutive days against another member of the state military forces, and there is a direct relationship between the offense and the military membership, is subject to state military criminal jurisdiction.

The bill also amends the statute of limitations, unless otherwise provided by section 29B.44, to five years for charging a person with desertion in time of peace or any other offense under the Code, subject to trial by court martial. Currently, the statute of limitations is three years for charging a person with desertion in time of peace or perjury and two years for charging a person for any other offense of the Code, subject to trial by court martial. Dismissed military criminal charges may be refiled within 180 days of dismissal.
[3/08: 49-0 (Chelgren absent)]