SF 234 (LSB 1653SV (2) 86)

SENATE FILE 234

BY  COMMITTEE ON ECONOMIC GROWTH

(SUCCESSOR TO SF 110)

(As Amended and Passed by the Senate 2015-02-24)

A BILL FOR

An Act establishing an Iowa employment rides initiative and related fund in the state department of transportation.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:

    Section 1.  NEW SECTION.  324A.8  Iowa employment rides initiative —— grant program —— fund.
   1.  As used in this section, unless the context otherwise requires “employment transportation” means an urban or rural program or service that provides an individual with transportation solely to or from a workplace, including but not limited to the following programs and services:
   a.  Expanding or sustaining existing transportation services or service hours.
   b.  Coordinating ride share services, including car pool or van pool services.
   c.  Shuttle services.
   2.  The Iowa employment rides initiative is established in the department to provide funds to public transit systems for programs and services that provide employment transportation to Iowans. 
   3.  The department shall award funds from the initiative on a competitive grant basis. A grant shall not exceed one hundred fifty thousand dollars. A grant application shall contain a commitment from the public transit system of at least a dollar-for-dollar match of the grant funds awarded. Moneys charged to individuals receiving employment transportation services cannot be used as matching funds. Grant funds shall be used only for operational costs directly associated with providing employment transportation and shall not be used for capital expenditures or construction.
   4.  A public transit system may coordinate with other local, state, or federal governmental agencies and private nonprofit organizations in the administration of a program or service receiving a grant under the initiative and in expenditure of grant funds. 
   5.  The department shall, by January 1 each year, submit a report to the general assembly on the outcomes of the initiative, including the grant amount, the type of program or service receiving funds, and the number of individuals served for each grant awarded by the initiative. As a condition of having received a grant from the initiative, a public transit system shall provide the department with information on any program or service for which the public transit system is awarded a grant from the initiative.
   6.  The department shall adopt rules pursuant to chapter 17A to administer the initiative, including but not limited to an application process and grant award criteria.
   7.  a.  An Iowa employment rides fund is created in the state treasury under the control of the department. The fund shall consist of moneys appropriated to the department and any other moneys available to, obtained, or accepted by the department for placement in the fund.
   b.  Moneys in the fund shall be used to provide grants under the Iowa employment rides initiative established in this section.
   c.  Moneys in the fund are not subject to section 8.33. Notwithstanding section 12C.7, subsection 2, interest or earnings on moneys in the fund shall be credited to the fund.