Text: SF02350 Text: SF02352 Text: SF02300 - SF02399 Text: SF Index Bills and Amendments: General Index Bill History: General Index
PAG LIN 1 1 Section 1. NEW SECTION. 297.37 FIRE SAFETY FUND. 1 2 1. A fire safety fund is created as a revolving loan fund 1 3 within the state treasury under the control of the department 1 4 of education. There is appropriated from the rebuild Iowa 1 5 infrastructure fund created in section 8.57, subsection 5, for 1 6 the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2000, and ending June 30, 1 7 2001, to the school budget review committee, notwithstanding 1 8 any other provision to the contrary, five million dollars, to 1 9 be used as provided in this section. The purpose of the fire 1 10 safety fund is to provide school districts in the state which 1 11 lack resources to address and remedy fire safety violations or 1 12 deficiencies with financial assistance in the form of no- 1 13 interest or low-interest loans. 1 14 2. A school district may use loan moneys received from the 1 15 fund to make school infrastructure improvements relating to 1 16 fire safety. In order to be eligible for moneys from the 1 17 fund, a school district shall have received an order or 1 18 citation from the state fire marshal, or a fire department 1 19 chief or fire prevention officer, for one or more fire safety 1 20 violations regarding a school facility, or the school 1 21 district, in the opinion of the state fire marshal, shall be 1 22 regarded as operating facilities subject to significant fire 1 23 safety deficiencies. 1 24 3. The school budget review committee shall award loans 1 25 from the fund to school districts which, in its discretion, 1 26 face the most severe violations or deficiencies, and which 1 27 demonstrate to the committee that the district lacks 1 28 sufficient financial resources from any other source to 1 29 address the violations or deficiencies. School districts 1 30 applying for moneys from the fund shall have developed and 1 31 submitted to the state fire marshal a written plan to remedy 1 32 the violations or deficiencies within a specified time frame. 1 33 Approval of the written plan by the state fire marshal shall 1 34 be obtained prior to receipt of moneys from the fund by a 1 35 school district. Application forms, submission dates for 2 1 applications and for written plans to remedy the violations or 2 2 deficiencies, and approval criteria shall be developed by the 2 3 department of education, in coordination with the state fire 2 4 marshal, and adopted by rule. 2 5 4. Moneys received from the fund by a school district 2 6 shall be repaid pursuant to a five-year repayment schedule 2 7 whereby no less than twenty percent of the amount received 2 8 shall be repaid annually, with full repayment after five 2 9 years. Interest shall not be charged on the principal balance 2 10 provided that a minimum of twenty percent of the total moneys 2 11 received from the fund is repaid by the district annually. A 2 12 school district may repay moneys received from the fund at a 2 13 rate exceeding twenty percent per year, at the school 2 14 district's discretion. If a school district does not make the 2 15 twenty percent per year repayment, the following shall apply: 2 16 a. If a school district has not repaid twenty percent of 2 17 the total moneys received from the fund within one year from 2 18 the date the moneys were initially received, interest shall be 2 19 charged on the principal balance in the amount of eight 2 20 percent per year, beginning in the second year of repayment. 2 21 b. A school district that initially repaid twenty percent 2 22 of the total moneys received from the fund within one year 2 23 from the date the moneys were received, but fails to maintain 2 24 a twenty percent annual repayment at some point thereafter, 2 25 shall be charged interest on the principal balance in the 2 26 amount of eight percent annually, beginning in the year 2 27 following a year in which less than twenty percent of the 2 28 outstanding balance was repaid. 2 29 5. Loans from the fire safety fund may be awarded by the 2 30 school budget review committee during the five-year period 2 31 beginning on the effective date of this Act. During that 2 32 five-year period, moneys remaining in the fund at the end of a 2 33 fiscal year shall not revert to any other fund but shall 2 34 remain available in the fund for the next fiscal year for 2 35 utilization in awarding additional loans. For the fiscal year 3 1 beginning July 1, 2005, and subsequent fiscal years, moneys 3 2 remaining in the fund at the end of a fiscal year, comprised 3 3 of unexpended amounts from the initial appropriation made 3 4 pursuant to subsection 1 and amounts repaid by school 3 5 districts pursuant to the repayment schedule contained in 3 6 subsection 4, shall annually revert to the rebuild Iowa 3 7 infrastructure fund until such time as all loans awarded from 3 8 the fund have been fully repaid. 3 9 6. The school budget review committee shall submit a 3 10 progress report on the number and amount of fire safety fund 3 11 applications approved and resulting fire and safety 3 12 improvements made to the general assembly by January 1, 2001. 3 13 7. Notwithstanding section 8.57, subsection 5, there shall 3 14 be allocated to the department of public safety, division of 3 15 state fire marshal, from the funds appropriated pursuant to 3 16 subsection 1, the amount of one hundred thousand dollars 3 17 annually during the five-year period beginning on the 3 18 effective date of this Act. The funds shall be utilized 3 19 solely for the purpose of retaining an architect or 3 20 architectural firm to evaluate structures for which grant 3 21 application is made, to consult with school district 3 22 representatives and builders, to review construction drawings 3 23 and blueprints, and to perform related duties at the direction 3 24 of the state fire marshal to assure the best possible 3 25 utilization of moneys received from the fund by a school 3 26 district. 3 27 EXPLANATION 3 28 This bill provides for the establishment of a fire safety 3 29 fund within the state treasury under the control of the 3 30 department of education to assist school districts lacking 3 31 adequate resources to address fire safety violations and 3 32 deficiencies. The fund would be a revolving loan fund, 3 33 consisting of a one-time appropriation of $5 million to the 3 34 school budget review committee for the fiscal year beginning 3 35 July 1, 2000, from the rebuild Iowa infrastructure fund 4 1 created in section 8.57. 4 2 The bill provides that moneys received by a school district 4 3 may be utilized for the making of school infrastructure 4 4 improvements relating to fire safety. Eligible school 4 5 districts must have received an order or citation from the 4 6 state fire marshal, or a fire department chief or fire 4 7 prevention officer for one or more fire safety violations 4 8 regarding a school facility or the school district, in the 4 9 opinion of the state fire marshal, must be regarded as 4 10 operating facilities subject to significant fire safety 4 11 deficiencies. 4 12 The moneys in the fund will be loaned by the school budget 4 13 review committee to school districts which, in the committee's 4 14 discretion, face the most severe violations or deficiencies 4 15 and which demonstrate that they lack sufficient financial 4 16 resources from any other source to address them. School 4 17 districts applying for moneys will be required to receive 4 18 approval from the state fire marshal regarding a written plan 4 19 to remedy fire defects within a specified time frame. 4 20 The bill provides that moneys received by a school district 4 21 must be repaid pursuant to a five-year repayment schedule 4 22 requiring no less than 20 percent annual repayment of the 4 23 moneys initially received in order to avoid incurring an 4 24 interest charge. The bill applies an 8 percent interest rate 4 25 if the 20 percent annual repayment schedule is not adhered to. 4 26 The bill provides that loans may be awarded by the school 4 27 budget review committee during the five-year period beginning 4 28 on the effective date of the bill, and that during that five- 4 29 year period, moneys remaining in the fund at the end of a 4 30 fiscal year shall not revert to any other fund but shall 4 31 remain available in the fund for utilization in awarding 4 32 additional loans. The bill provides that for the fiscal year 4 33 beginning July 1, 2005, and subsequent fiscal years, moneys 4 34 remaining in the fund at the end of a fiscal year, comprised 4 35 of unexpended amounts from the initial appropriation and 5 1 amounts annually repaid by school districts pursuant to the 5 2 repayment schedule, shall annually revert to the rebuild Iowa 5 3 infrastructure fund until all loans awarded from the fund have 5 4 been fully repaid. 5 5 The bill additionally requires that the school budget 5 6 review committee submit a progress report on the number and 5 7 amount of fire safety fund applications approved and resulting 5 8 fire and safety improvements made to the general assembly by 5 9 January 1, 2001. 5 10 The bill further provides that out of the appropriation in 5 11 subsection 1 of the bill, $100,000 shall annually be allocated 5 12 to the department of public safety, division of state fire 5 13 marshal, during the five-year period beginning on the 5 14 effective date of the bill. The bill provides that the funds 5 15 shall be utilized solely for the purpose of retaining an 5 16 architect or architectural firm for evaluation and 5 17 consultation purposes relating to school construction and 5 18 design, and to perform related duties at the direction of the 5 19 state fire marshal to ensure the best possible utilization of 5 20 moneys received from the fund. 5 21 LSB 5267SV 78 5 22 rn/gg/8
Text: SF02350 Text: SF02352 Text: SF02300 - SF02399 Text: SF Index Bills and Amendments: General Index Bill History: General Index
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