HF 488 (LSB 2392HV (4) 86)

RELATING TO THE PROGRAMS OF THE IOWA COMMISSION ON VOLUNTEER SERVICE BY ESTABLISHING AN IOWA READING CORPS AND SPECIFYING USES OF FUNDS.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:

    Section 1.  Section 15H.5, subsection 5, paragraph a, Code 2015, is amended to read as follows:
   a.  Funding for the Iowa summer youth corps program, and the Iowa green corps program established pursuant to section 15H.6, and the Iowa reading corps program established pursuant to section 15H.7 shall be obtained from private sector, and local, state, and federal government sources, or from other available funds credited to the community programs account, which shall be created within the economic development authority under the authority of the commission. Moneys available in the account for a fiscal year are appropriated to the commission 

to be used for the programs.  The commission may establish an escrow account within the authority and obligate moneys within that escrow account for tuition or program payments to be made beyond the term of any fiscal year. Notwithstanding section 12C.7, subsection 2, interest earned on moneys in the community programs account shall be credited to the account. Notwithstanding section 8.33, moneys in the community programs account or escrow account shall not revert to the general fund but shall remain available for expenditure in future fiscal years.
    Sec. 2.  NEW SECTION.  15H.7  Iowa reading corps.
   1.  a.  The Iowa commission on volunteer service, in collaboration with the department of education, may establish an Iowa reading corps program to provide Iowa reading corps Americorps members with a data-based, problem-solving model of literacy instruction to use in tutoring students from prekindergarten to third grade who are not proficient in reading or who are at risk of becoming not proficient in reading.
   b.  The program shall use models of early literacy instruction reviewed and approved by the department of education pursuant to section 256.9, subsection 53, paragraph “c”.
   c.  The commission and the department of education shall grant Americorps programs that are operating an early literacy intervention program within a single school district on the date of enactment of this Act that seek to be included in the Iowa reading corps program adequate time to make adjustments to align the currently operating program with commission and department goals and strategies for the Iowa reading corps program.
   2.  a.  The models of literacy instruction utilized by Iowa reading corps Americorps members shall align with literacy program goals and strategies developed by the state department of education, the local school district, and the Iowa reading research center.
   b.  The commission, in collaboration with the department of education, may adopt rules pursuant to chapter 17A to implement and administer this section.
   3.  The commission may use moneys in and lawfully available to the community programs account created in section 15H.5 to fund the program.
   4.  The commission shall submit an annual report to the general assembly and the state department of education that records and evaluates program data to determine the efficacy of the program.

______________________________
KRAIG PAULSEN

Speaker of the House

______________________________
PAM JOCHUM

President of the Senate

   I hereby certify that this bill originated in the House and is known as House File 488, Eighty-sixth General Assembly.

______________________________
CARMINE BOAL

Chief Clerk of the House
Approved _______________, 2015

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TERRY E. BRANSTAD

Governor