Executive Order 21

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Executive Department INTHE NAME AND By THE AUTHORITY OF THE STATE OF Iowa

EXECUTIVE ORDER NUMBER TWENTY-ONE

WHEREAS, the State of lowa is committed to ensuring that all of lowa’s military veterans receive the benefits and support they deserve; and

WHEREAS, in 1992, the General Assembly split the lowa Commission of Veterans Affairs and the lowa Veterans Home from their respective umbrella departments, and created an independent entity, with the lowa Commission of Veterans Affairs operating out of Camp Dodge and the Towa Veterans Home located in Marshalltown, lowa; and

WHEREAS, under current lowa law, the lowa Commission of Veterans Affairs shall prescribe the responsibilities of the executive director for the commission, supervise the administration of the lowa Veteran’s Home, assist county commissions of veterans affairs in the execution of their statutory duties and provide general assistance to the United States Veterans Administration; and

WHEREAS, the lowa Commission of Veterans Affairs must coordinate all activities under its supervision, including the custodianship of more than 4,500,000 military records, which the commission makes available to veterans, their families, and veterans affairs agencies at federal, state and county levels; and

WHEREAS, the task of managing the operations of the commission, maintaining veteran records and assisting veterans affairs agencies on the federal and county levels offers a number of challenges under the current management Structure; and

WHEREAS, the overall efficiency and effectiveness of the commission would be enhanced by restructuring its internal processes to set commission policy more effectively and share information between organizational officers.

NOW, THEREFORE, I Thomas J. Vilsack, Governor of the State of lowa, by the power vested in me by the laws and Constitution of the State of lowa do hereby order and direct the establishment of a VETERANS AFFAIRS POLICY TASK FORCE, which shall make recommendations on future organizational and operational policy initiatives.

I. The VETERANS AFFAIRS POLICY TASK FORCE shall be comprised of six members, who shall be appointed by the Governor. Two members shall be representatives from the lowa Commission of Veterans Affairs; two members shall be representatives from the lowa Association of County Commissioners of Veterans Affairs, one member shall be a representative from the lowa Veterans Home and one member shall be a representative from the Iowa Veterans Council, The Task Force shall select a chairperson from its membership.

COURTESY STATE LIBRARY OF IOWA

I. The VETERANS AFFAIRS POLICY TASK FORCE shall develop a general policy for administrative operations at the lowa Commission of Veterans Affairs office at Camp Dodge. The task force shall review the mission, vision, goals and objectives of the Commission and establish guidelines for administrative operations that support them.

he The VETERANS AFFAIRS POLICY TASK FORCE shall submit a report on its activities and its recommendations to the lowa Commission of Veterans Affairs and the Governor's Office by September 30, 2001.

IN TESTIMONY WHEREOFP, | have hereunto subscribed my name and caused the Great Seal of to be affixed. Done at Des Moines this day of in the year of our Lord two thousand one

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SECRETARY OF STATE

COURTESY STATE LIBRARY OF IOWA