So many bills aimed at helping veterans and military families were flying around the Iowa Capitol this year it might not be easy to keep track of them.

So far, Gov. Chet Culver has signed 10, including two yesterday at the Iowa Veterans Home in Marshalltown.

He’s still mulling over another 10 that state legislators approved during the recently-ended 2010 session of the Iowa Legislature. Culver has until the end of April to veto any bill.

AWAITING CULVER’S PEN

Here are the bills the Iowa Legislature approved but Culver is still considering:

1. MENTAL HEALTH COVERAGE: State-regulated insurance companies would have to cover mental health and substance abuse treatment for veterans who are employed by businesses with more than 50 workers. SF 2201.

2. VETERANS DAY OFF: Veterans could get time off work on Veterans Day if they notify their employer at least one month in advance and show proof of veteran status; it would be up to employers whether it’s paid or unpaid. HF 2197.

3. CHILD VISITATION: A military member who has visitation rights with his or her child could ask the court to let temporarily allow another family member do have those visits during the deployment. SF 2226.

4. AID FOR IOWANS IN COMBAT: If a military member’s permit to carry a concealed weapon would otherwise expire during service, it would remain valid for 90 days after deployment; utility companies could not shut off gas or electricity at an activated service member’s home if the utility is informed of the deployment; the soldier could get a refund on state permits such as hunting and fishing license fees for the period they’re deployed; if a military member dies in combat, family members could get free copies of birth and death certificates for one year after the death. SF 2297.

5. MORE AID FOR IOWANS IN COMBAT: Iowans on active duty could suspend payments on their professional liability insurance coverage; a work group would look at military training as a substitute for state licensing requirements; the state would have the authority to enforce the federal law capping interest rates for payday loans made to military members. SF 2318.

6. DISABLED VETERANS: State agencies would have to develop programs to attract qualified disabled veterans to job opportunities in state government.This would include developing a program to inform disabled veterans returning from active duty about federally-funded job training opportunities. HF 2454.

7. COLLEGE STUDIES: The state would study the need to provide greater college education benefits for veterans and their dependents, including but not limited to children of service-connected disabled veterans. Another working group would explore participate in the federal national security education program and “establish a foreign language road map” for  K-16 and graduate-level students in Iowa. SF 2274.

8. COLLEGE AID FOR NATIONAL GUARD: The state would spend $3.2 million next budget year for college aid through the National Guard Education Benefits program. SF 2376.

9. PARADE FLAGS: Iowans who use a vehicle trailer exclusively for carrying flags to be displayed in parades or other patriotic events wouldn’t have to pay for state registration. HF 2531.

10. COAST GUARD HONOR GUARD: Coast Guard auxiliary forces would be able to serve as honor guards. HF 2414

SIGNED BY THE GOVERNOR

Culver has signed these bills into law. All will take effect July 1 unless otherwise noted:

1. INCOME TAX: Veterans will not have to pay individual state income tax, starting Jan. 1, 2010, on money from the Veterans Trust Fund awarded for travel, medical care or other expenses for wounded veterans. HF 2138.

2. TAX ADVICE: The Iowa National guard must work with the Iowa Department of Veterans Affairs to notify deploying and returning service members to contact state revenue officials about certain tax issues while deployed. HF 2384.

3. MENTAL HEALTH BOARDS: Military veterans will be represented on two state boards focused on mental health matters: the Mental Health Planning and Advisory Council and the Mental Health, Mental Retardation, Developmental Disabilities and Brain Injury Commission.  SF 2175.

4. JAILED VETERANS: Jail personnel will have to ask inmates whether they are a veteran, and if they are, inform them within 24 hours that they might be entitled to veterans services for issues such as mental health or substance abuse. HF 2321.

5. TRAILING SPOUSE: Iowa will allow unemployment insurance benefits for an Iowan who left employment because his or her military spouse was reassigned elsewhere. HF 2110.

6. INJURED VETERANS: All military members who are in the hospital at least 30 consecutive days because of a line-of-duty injury — even if they weren’t medically evacuated from the operational theater — will be eligible for $2,500 per month up to $10,000 through the injured veterans grant program.  HF 755.

7. HOME PURCHASES: Military members will have a broader choice of lenders when buying a house through a state veterans’ mortgage assistance program. This corrects a problem with the Iowa Finance Authority denying military members a grant for a home loan because their bank wasn’t on a special list of approved lenders. Two Iowa veterans complained to the state ombudsman.  HF 2148.

8. USS IOWA BATTLESHIP: The Iowa Department of Veterans Affairs must promote and support the preservation of the battleship U.S.S. Iowa as a permanent naval museum. HF 2406.

9. STATE CONTRACTS: The state must “encourage and assist” small businesses owned and operated by disabled veterans to obtain state contracts and subcontracts. HF 2449.

10. CONTROLLED SUBSTANCES: The Iowa Code on the Iowa National Guard and enforcement of controlled substances was updated. HF 2137.

BILLS THAT FAILED

Most bills regarding veterans or military members sailed easily to passage in the Iowa Legislature this past session, but a couple died:

1. PROPERTY TAX: The property tax on a homestead for a veteran, who is rated at least 50 percent disabled, would not go up from year to year; it would have been frozen as long as the veteran lives there. HF 2429.

2. VETERANS OUTREACH: Would have created a fund to help counties reach out to veterans who have recently returned from a combat zone. HF 2455.