Senate File 2161 - Enrolled PAG LIN 1 1 SENATE FILE 2161 1 2 1 3 AN ACT 1 4 PROVIDING FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A COUNCIL ON HOMELESSNESS. 1 5 1 6 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 1 7 1 8 Section 1. NEW SECTION. 16.100A COUNCIL ON HOMELESSNESS. 1 9 1. A council on homelessness is established consisting of 1 10 thirty=eight voting members. At least one voting member at 1 11 all times shall be a member of a minority group. 1 12 2. Members of the council shall consist of all of the 1 13 following: 1 14 a. Twenty=six members of the general public appointed to 1 15 two=year staggered terms by the governor in consultation with 1 16 the nominating committee under subsection 4, paragraph "a". 1 17 (1) Voting members from the general public may include, 1 18 but are not limited to the following types of individuals and 1 19 representatives of the following programs: homeless or 1 20 formerly homeless individuals and their family members, youth 1 21 shelters, faith=based organizations, local homeless service 1 22 providers, emergency shelters, transitional housing providers, 1 23 family and domestic violence shelters, private business, local 1 24 government, and community=based organizations. 1 25 (2) Five of the twenty=six voting members selected from 1 26 the general public shall be individuals who are homeless, 1 27 formerly homeless, or family members of homeless or formerly 1 28 homeless individuals. 1 29 (3) One of the twenty=six members selected from the 1 30 general public shall be a representative of the Iowa state 1 31 association of counties. 1 32 (4) One of the twenty=six members selected from the 1 33 general public shall be a representative of the Iowa league of 1 34 cities. 1 35 b. Twelve agency director members consisting of all of the 2 1 following: 2 2 (1) The director of the department of education or the 2 3 director's designee. 2 4 (2) The director of the department of economic development 2 5 or the director's designee. 2 6 (3) The director of human services or the director's 2 7 designee. 2 8 (4) The attorney general or the attorney general's 2 9 designee. 2 10 (5) The director of the department of human rights or the 2 11 director's designee. 2 12 (6) The director of public health or the director's 2 13 designee. 2 14 (7) The director of the department of elder affairs or the 2 15 director's designee. 2 16 (8) The director of the department of corrections or the 2 17 director's designee. 2 18 (9) The director of the department of workforce 2 19 development or the director's designee. 2 20 (10) The director of the department of public safety or 2 21 the director's designee. 2 22 (11) The director of the department of veterans affairs or 2 23 the director's designee. 2 24 (12) The executive director of the Iowa finance authority 2 25 or the executive director's designee. 2 26 3. An agency director's designee may vote on council 2 27 matters in the absence of the director. 2 28 4. a. A nominating committee initially comprised of all 2 29 twelve agency director members shall nominate persons to the 2 30 governor to fill the general public member positions. 2 31 Following appointment of all twenty=six general public 2 32 members, the composition of the nominating committee may be 2 33 modified by rule. 2 34 b. The council may establish other committees and 2 35 subcommittees comprised of members of the council. 3 1 5. A vacancy on the council shall be filled in the same 3 2 manner as the original appointment. A member appointed to 3 3 fill a vacancy created other than by expiration of a term 3 4 shall be appointed for the remainder of the unexpired term. 3 5 6. a. A majority of the members of the council 3 6 constitutes a quorum. Any action taken by the council must be 3 7 adopted by the affirmative vote of a majority of its 3 8 membership. 3 9 b. The council shall elect a chairperson and vice 3 10 chairperson from the membership of the council. The 3 11 chairperson and vice chairperson shall serve two=year terms. 3 12 The chairperson and vice chairperson shall not both be either 3 13 general public members or agency directors. The chairperson 3 14 shall rotate between agency director members and general 3 15 public members. 3 16 c. The council shall meet at least six times per year. 3 17 Meetings of the council may be called by the chairperson or by 3 18 a majority of the members. 3 19 d. General public members shall be reimbursed for actual 3 20 and necessary expenses incurred while engaged in their 3 21 official duties. Expense payments shall be made from 3 22 appropriations made for purposes of this section. 3 23 7. The Iowa finance authority shall provide staff 3 24 assistance and administrative support to the council. 3 25 8. The duties of the council shall include but are not 3 26 limited to the following: 3 27 a. Develop a process for evaluating state policies, 3 28 programs, statutes, and rules to determine whether any state 3 29 policies, programs, statutes, or rules should be revised to 3 30 help prevent and alleviate homelessness. 3 31 b. Evaluate whether state agency resources could be more 3 32 efficiently coordinated with other state agencies to prevent 3 33 and alleviate homelessness. 3 34 c. Work to develop a coordinated and seamless service 3 35 delivery system to prevent and alleviate homelessness. 4 1 d. Use existing resources to identify and prioritize 4 2 efforts to prevent persons from becoming homeless and to 4 3 eliminate factors that keep people homeless. 4 4 e. Identify and use federal and other funding 4 5 opportunities to address and reduce homelessness within the 4 6 state. 4 7 f. Work to identify causes and effects of homelessness and 4 8 increase awareness among policymakers and the general public. 4 9 g. Advise the governor's office, the Iowa finance 4 10 authority, state agencies, and private organizations on 4 11 strategies to prevent and eliminate homelessness. 4 12 9. The council shall conduct a study of issues relating to 4 13 the following: 4 14 a. Low=income seniors and low=income persons with any form 4 15 of disability, including but not limited to physical 4 16 disability, developmental disability, mental illness, 4 17 co=occurring mental illness and substance abuse disorders, or 4 18 AIDS and AIDS=related conditions. For purposes of this 4 19 section, "AIDS" and "AIDS=related conditions" mean the same as 4 20 defined in section 141A.1. 4 21 b. Low=income and moderate=income persons unable to afford 4 22 transportation or housing near work, and adequate affordable 4 23 housing able to support economic growth and development of a 4 24 community, including new construction, community 4 25 redevelopment, and urban renewal. 4 26 c. Low=income persons residing in existing affordable 4 27 housing that is in danger of becoming unaffordable or lost, 4 28 and persons determined to be or at risk of becoming homeless. 4 29 d. Affordable rental housing, access to available 4 30 financing for housing, first=time home buyers, and 4 31 relationships between landlords and tenants. 4 32 10. a. The council shall make annual recommendations to 4 33 the governor regarding matters which impact homelessness on or 4 34 before September 15. 4 35 b. The council shall prepare and file with the governor 5 1 and the general assembly on or before the first day of 5 2 December in each odd=numbered year, a report on homelessness 5 3 in Iowa. 5 4 c. The council shall assist in the completion of the 5 5 state's continuum of care application to the United States 5 6 department of housing and urban development. 5 7 11. a. The Iowa finance authority, in consultation with 5 8 the council, shall adopt rules pursuant to chapter 17A for 5 9 carrying out the duties of the council pursuant to this 5 10 section. 5 11 b. The council shall establish internal rules of procedure 5 12 consistent with the provisions of this section. 5 13 c. Rules adopted or internal rules of procedure 5 14 established pursuant to paragraph "a" or "b" shall be 5 15 consistent with the requirements of the federal McKinney=Vento 5 16 Homeless Assistance Act, 42 U.S.C. } 11301, et seq. 5 17 12. The council shall comply with the requirements of 5 18 chapters 21 and 22. The Iowa finance authority shall be the 5 19 official repository of council records. 5 20 5 21 5 22 5 23 JOHN P. KIBBIE 5 24 President of the Senate 5 25 5 26 5 27 5 28 PATRICK J. MURPHY 5 29 Speaker of the House 5 30 5 31 I hereby certify that this bill originated in the Senate and 5 32 is known as Senate File 2161, Eighty=second General Assembly. 5 33 5 34 5 35 6 1 MICHAEL E. MARSHALL 6 2 Secretary of the Senate 6 3 Approved , 2008 6 4 6 5 6 6 6 7 CHESTER J. CULVER 6 8 Governor