1. The purpose of this section is to enable local jurisdictions to establish community partnerships to redirect existing public funds to achieve improved outcomes for children and their families. The state and local jurisdictions shall negotiate new relationships in the decategorization of funding appropriated and available to local jurisdictions which share the risk related to and responsibility for achieving improved outcomes.
2. An innovation zone board is created within the council on human investment. The staff of the council on human investment shall act as staff to the board. The board shall select a chairperson, annually, from its membership. A simple majority of the members of the board shall constitute a quorum. On or before June 30, 1997, the board shall do all of the following:
a. Issue a request for applications to be submitted by local jurisdictions to participate in innovation zones in order to develop new, community-based strategies which are cross-system in focus, to improve outcomes for children and their families.
b. Select from the requests received, at least three jurisdictions to develop and implement innovation zone plans. The board shall establish criteria for selection of the jurisdictions. Selection criteria shall include a component which measures the comprehensiveness of the plan and the capacity of the jurisdiction to implement the plan.
c. Provide technical assistance, if requested, to assist selected jurisdictions in developing and implementing the innovation zone plans, including but not limited to assistance in providing information regarding state and federal funding directed to the local jurisdiction for use in implementation of the plans.
d. Negotiate with local jurisdictions the state and local jurisdiction duties in implementing the innovation zone plans. The negotiations shall include methods to evaluate the performance of the innovation zones. The board shall coordinate and respond to any requests from a local jurisdiction relating to waiver of existing rules or regulations, the pooling and redirecting of existing state funds, and the seeking of federal waivers.
e. Provide for maximum flexibility and creativity in the designing and implementation of innovation zone plans with an emphasis on the plans' potential for improving outcomes for children and their families.
f. Review and approve or disapprove any provision in an innovation zone plan submitted which requires the waiver or superseding of any state rule relating to local jurisdiction actions or expenditure of funds for services provided to children and their families.
g. Report provisions included in a local jurisdiction's innovation zone plan which require the waiver or superseding of a state law or rule to the general assembly for review and necessary action.
3. A local jurisdiction seeking to develop and implement an innovation zone plan shall do all of the following:
a. Define the geographic service area of the local jurisdiction.
b. Establish a local jurisdiction innovation zone governing body which shall develop and implement the innovation zone plan. The governing body shall be representative of the local jurisdiction.
c. Develop a budget for the development and implementation of the innovation zone plan which includes a commitment of ongoing local funding and which also involves the commitment of other private and public resources to the innovation zone.
d. Negotiate the specific requirements of the innovation zone plan and implementation of the plan including the specific duties of the state and local jurisdictions. The plans may include provisions for local jurisdiction actions or expenditure of funds under the plan which involve waiver of state rules relating to services to children and their families.
4. The innovation zone board shall include all of the following members:
a. The directors, or their designees, of the department of human services, the department of human rights, the department of education, the Iowa department of public health, the department of workforce development, the department of management, and any other state departments or agencies, as necessary, as determined by the board.
b. Four members of the general assembly shall serve as ex officio, nonvoting members. The legislative members shall be appointed by the majority leader of the senate, by the minority leader of the senate, by the speaker of the house, and by the minority leader of the house of representatives. Appointments shall comply with sections 69.16 and 69.16A. Vacancies shall be filled by the original appointing authority and in the manner of the original appointments. Legislative members shall serve terms of two years and shall receive compensation pursuant to section 2.12.
c. Additional members, which the governor shall appoint, who are not affiliated with a state agency but who are members of the general public with expertise or interest in children and family issues.
5. For the purposes of this section, "local jurisdiction" or "jurisdiction" means one or more cities, counties, or school districts or a combination of any of these entities.
96 Acts, ch 1186, § 23; 96 Acts, ch 1219, §61
Subsections 2 and 4 are repealed effective June 30, 1998; 96 Acts, ch 1219, § 77
Iowa General Assembly
Search: Iowa Code 1997
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