For use in this chapter, the following words are defined:
1. “Assistance” means food, rent, shelter, clothing, transportation, emergency telephone service, fuel, lights, and medical attention. Food does not include cigarettes or alcoholic beverages but does include laundry soap, household cleaners, and other items of non-food nature used for personal hygiene. “Assistance” also includes provisions of any of the above items of assistance by the Commission through the offering of residence at a care facility. “Assistance” also includes the burial of indigent veterans, whether resident in the County or not, in an amount established by the Board of Supervisors.
2. “Awaiting approval and receipt” describes an indigent veteran who has applied for assistance under any State or Federal law; who has pursued that application with due diligence; and who has not had that application denied.
3. “Commission” means the Marion County Commission of Veterans Affairs and/or its Director.
4. “Family unit” means the individual veteran applying and all members of the immediate family including spouse and minor children not over eighteen (18) years of age who are dependent upon the veteran for food, care and shelter and who reside with the veteran as a family unit member. In case the veteran is deceased, “family unit” means the veteran’s surviving spouse who has not remarried, and all members of the immediate family including minor children of the deceased veteran not over eighteen (18) years of age who are dependent upon the surviving spouse for food, care and shelter and who reside with the surviving spouse as family unit members.
5. “Indigent veteran” means a veteran or the family unit of that veteran that is domiciled in Marion County, Iowa, who has some means but who, because of circumstances which are not attributable to that veteran, needs immediate assistance.
6. “Liquid assets” means cash on hand of the veteran and members of the family unit.
7. “Net worth” includes income or moneys from any source, moneys due, savings, and other deposits, stocks, bonds, real estate (other than homestead), cash value of life insurance policies, and the value of other real and personal property, subject to certain exclusions as set forth herein.
8. “Veteran” means a person who was discharged from United States military service under honorable conditions and has served on active duty for ninety (90) continuous days, unless discharged with less service for a service-connected disability, during the following wars and within and including the dates set forth:
A. World War I - April 6, 1917, to November 11, 1918.
B. World War 11 - December 7, 1941, to December 31, 1946.
C. Korean War - June 25, 1950, to January 31, 1955.
D. Vietnam Conflict - August 5, 1964, to May 7, 1975.
E. Persian Gulf – August 2, 1990, through a date set by law or Presidential Proclamation.