Democratic Track Record:
10 for 10 in 2003
for Iowa Vets
and Service Members

Iowa Democrats focused on a 10 point "Service Member Support Agenda" during the 2003 General Assembly and won passage of all 10 points.

1.      90 day lease termination if activated: A service member who signs a lease and then receives reassignment or deployment orders for a duty of 90 days or more can terminate the lease by written notice.

2.      Death gratuity exemption: Beneficiaries of service member receive a $12,000 death gratuity, the first $3,000 tax free. This would exempt total amount from state taxes. This was agreed to at federal level last year but not implemented.

3.      Delayed filing of taxes: Present law allows those deployed to combat zone an180-day extension on filing their state taxes. This extends that delay to those activated for homeland security who may be deployed to non-combat zone. The governor has signed this idea into law.

4.      Deduction of all military expenses: Service members are currently eligible to take military expenses as deduction if the total is over 2% of their gross income. This bill would allow service members to deduct all of their military expenses.

5.      Exempt military student loan repayment from taxes: The military services sometimes send a service member to college and/or provide student loan repayment. This idea would exempt the loan repayment from state taxes.

6.      Iowa Military Relief Fund: This state tax check off would fund emergency financial grants to the families of Iowa reservists and members of the Guard.

7.      Counseling: The state would provide two counseling sessions or a $100 voucher for the families of service members who are activated. 

8.      Fully fund National Guard Education Assistance Program: A projected shortfall may mean hundreds of Iowa National Guard members may not receive promised educational benefits.

9.      No waiting period to regain insurance coverage: College students on family health insurance plans who are activated are usually dropped from their family’s insurance coverage, as they are under military plan. When they come off active duty, their military insurance ends and they are sometimes ineligible or have delays in getting back on the family plan.

10.  Total reimbursement of college tuition if activated: Would allow for 100% tuition reimbursement of college tuition for classes interrupted when a student is activated.