331.608 - MILITARY PERSONNEL RECORDS.

        331.608  MILITARY PERSONNEL RECORDS.         1.  The recorder shall maintain a record in which, upon request,      the discharge of a veteran shall be recorded without charge.         2.  If an official discharge was not issued or if the veteran was      killed in action or died in service, the recorder shall record an      official certificate, general or special order, letter, or telegram      from a competent authority, including letters from the United States      department of defense, the United States department of veterans      affairs, or other governmental office, which shows the termination of      the veteran's service.         3.  The recorder shall record without charge the commissions and      warrants of veteran officers and noncommissioned officers; orders      citing a veteran for bravery and meritorious action; citations and      bestowals of medals from the state, federal, or foreign governments;      and any other documents needed to perfect a claim.         4.  The recorder shall record without charge the discharge or      other records of a deceased veteran which are presented on behalf of      the deceased veteran by a veterans organization.         5.  The recorder shall keep an alphabetical index referring to the      name of the veteran whose discharge paper is recorded.         6.  Unless otherwise provided by the person who requested the      recording of a record under this section, notwithstanding section      22.2, subsection 1, such record shall be confidential and shall not      be made available for examination or copying except as follows:         a.  To the person who is the subject of the record, to a      member of that person's immediate family, or to that person's agent      or representative duly authorized in writing.         b.  To a person requesting to examine or copy a record when      the event that resulted in the record being made occurred more than      seventy-five years prior to the request.         c.  To a person who is a funeral director licensed pursuant to      chapter 156 and who has custody of the body of a deceased veteran.         d.  When otherwise ordered by a court of competent      jurisdiction.         e.  When otherwise required by a department or agency of the      federal or state government or a political subdivision.  The recorder      shall make these records available to the department of veterans      affairs.  The department of veterans affairs and its employees shall      be subject to the same state and federal confidentiality restrictions      and requirements that are imposed on the recorder.         7.  If a certified copy of a record is required to perfect the      claim of a veteran in service or honorably discharged or a claim of a      dependent of the veteran, the certified copy shall be furnished by      the custodian of the record without charge.         8.  If the recorder periodically publishes notice of the services      provided to military persons and veterans under this section, the      recorder shall pay the cost of the publication in the same manner as      other expenses of the recorder's office.         9.  As used in this section, "veteran" means a veteran as      defined in section 35.1, who enlisted or was inducted from the      county, resided at any time in the county, or is buried in the      county.  For purposes of records maintained for claims filed under      chapter 426A, "veteran" also means a veteran as defined in      section 426A.11, subsection 4.  
         Section History: Early Form
         [C24, 27, 31, 35, 39, § 5173--5175; C46, 50, 54, 58, 62, 66,      71, 73, 75, 77, 79, 81, § 335.4--335.10; S81, § 331.608; 81 Acts, ch      117, § 607] 
         Section History: Recent Form
         92 Acts, ch 1140, § 37; 99 Acts, ch 180, §16; 2001 Acts, ch 44,      §10; 2003 Acts, ch 114, §2, 3; 2004 Acts, ch 1149, §4, 5; 2005 Acts,      ch 115, §31, 40; 2006 Acts, ch 1031, §5; 2009 Acts, ch 26, §14         Referred to in § 22.7, 331.607