216A.140  State of Iowa youth advisory council.
  1.  Definitions.  For the purposes of this section, unless the context otherwise requires:
  a.  “Youth” means children and young persons who are ages six through twenty-one years.
  b.  “Youth advisory council” means the state of Iowa youth advisory council created by this section.
  2.  State of Iowa youth advisory council.  A state of Iowa youth advisory council is created to provide input to the governor, general assembly, and state and local policymakers on youth issues.
  a.  The purpose of the youth advisory council is to foster communication among a group of engaged youth and the governor, general assembly, and state and local policymakers regarding programs, policies, and practices affecting youth and families; to advocate for youth on important issues affecting youth; and to improve the lives and futures of Iowa’s youth.
  b.  The youth advisory council shall consist of no more than twenty-one youth ages fourteen through twenty years who reside in Iowa. Membership shall be for two-year staggered terms. The director or the director’s designee shall select council members using an application process. The director or the director’s designee shall strive to maintain a diverse council membership and shall take into consideration race, ethnicity, disabilities, gender, and geographic location of residence of the applicants.
  c.  Except as otherwise provided by law, the youth advisory council shall determine its own rules of procedure and operating policies, subject to approval by the director or the director’s designee.
  d.  The youth advisory council shall do all of the following:
  (1)  Adopt and apply positive youth development principles and practices at the state and local levels.
  (2)  Increase the quality, efficiency, and effectiveness of opportunities and services and other supports for youth.
  (3)  Improve, coordinate, and prioritize state youth policy and programs across state agencies.
  (4)  Align all policies around the vision that all Iowa youth will be safe, healthy, successful, and prepared for adulthood.
  (5)  Review indicator data, identify barriers to youth success, and develop strategies to address the barriers.
  (6)  Strengthen partnerships with the nonprofit and private sectors to gather input, build consensus, and maximize the use of existing resources and leverage new resources to improve the lives of youth and their families.
  (7)  Report annually by February 1 to the governor and the general assembly.
  3.  Lead agency.  The lead agency for support of the state of Iowa youth advisory council is the department. The department shall coordinate activities and, with funding made available to it for such purposes, provide staff support for the youth advisory council.
2009 Acts, ch 53, §1; 2009 Acts, ch 179, §35; 2010 Acts, ch 1031, §295; 2023 Acts, ch 19, §317, 318; 2024 Acts, ch 1170, §444
Referred to in §216A.131A
Section amended