A bill for an act relating to unpaid leave for appointments with a county commission of veteran affairs.

HF 823 grants Iowa veterans employed by private or public entities the right to unpaid leave for appointments with their county commission of veteran affairs. Veterans must provide employers with a written request at least five days in advance (or 24 hours in emergencies), and employers cannot deny this leave without a good-faith reason or retaliate against veterans for using it. The bill designates denial of such leave or retaliation as an unfair employment practice, allowing veterans to file complaints with the Iowa Office of Civil Rights. This directly affects veterans needing to access county-level veteran services while employed.