House File 2598 - Introduced
HOUSE FILE
BY FALLON
Passed House, Date Passed Senate, Date
Vote: Ayes Nays Vote: Ayes Nays
Approved
A BILL FOR
1 An Act providing for implementation of an emergency assistance
2 program and making an appropriation.
3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
4 TLSB 6336HH 81
5 jp/gg/14
PAG LIN
1 1 Section 1. NEW SECTION. 234.15 EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE
1 2 PROGRAM.
1 3 1. The department of human services shall implement an
1 4 emergency assistance program to assist low=income persons who
1 5 face eviction, potential eviction, or foreclosure, utility
1 6 shutoff or fuel shortage, loss of heating energy supply or
1 7 equipment, homelessness, utility or rental deposits that
1 8 cannot be paid, or other crisis specified in rule which
1 9 threatens family or living arrangements. The program shall
1 10 provide assistance as a last resort and shall not supplant
1 11 assistance provided by the low=income home energy assistance
1 12 program, county general relief, veterans affairs programs, or
1 13 other programs directed to the same population.
1 14 2. The department shall establish by rule a maximum
1 15 assistance payment per family in a twelve=month period. The
1 16 initial maximum payment shall be five hundred dollars. The
1 17 emergency assistance shall be available to migrant families
1 18 who would otherwise meet eligibility criteria. The department
1 19 may contract for the administration and delivery of the
1 20 program.
1 21 3. Provision of assistance under the program is not an
1 22 entitlement and shall be terminated when funds are exhausted.
1 23 Unless the department adopts rules providing for a different
1 24 implementation date, the program shall commence operation on
1 25 October 1 of each year and continue until provision of
1 26 assistance is terminated.
1 27 4. a. The department shall provide a process for the
1 28 state to receive refunds of utility and rent deposits,
1 29 including any accrued interest, for emergency assistance
1 30 recipients which were paid by persons other than the state.
1 31 The department shall also receive refunds, including any
1 32 accrued interest, of deposits paid with funding available
1 33 under the emergency assistance program.
1 34 b. The refunds received by the department under this
1 35 subsection are appropriated to the department to be used as
2 1 additional funds for the program. Notwithstanding section
2 2 8.33, moneys received by the department under this subsection
2 3 which remain after assistance for a fiscal year is terminated
2 4 and state or federal moneys in the emergency assistance
2 5 account which remain unobligated or unexpended at the close of
2 6 a fiscal year shall not revert but shall remain available for
2 7 expenditure when the program resumes operation in the
2 8 succeeding fiscal year.
2 9 Sec. 2. EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE PROGRAM. There is
2 10 appropriated from the general fund of the state to the
2 11 department of human services for the fiscal year beginning
2 12 July 1, 2006, and ending June 30, 2007, the following amount,
2 13 or so much thereof as is necessary, to be used for the purpose
2 14 designated:
2 15 For the emergency assistance program implemented in
2 16 accordance with section 234.15, as enacted by this Act:
2 17 .................................................. $ 1,000,000
2 18 Sec. 3. EMERGENCY RULES.
2 19 1. The department of human services may adopt
2 20 administrative rules under section 17A.4, subsection 2, and
2 21 section 17A.5, subsection 2, paragraph "b", to implement the
2 22 provisions of this Act and the rules shall become effective
2 23 immediately upon filing or on a later effective date specified
2 24 in the rules, unless the effective date is delayed by the
2 25 administrative rules review committee. Any rules adopted in
2 26 accordance with this section shall not take effect before the
2 27 rules are reviewed by the administrative rules review
2 28 committee. The delay authority provided to the administrative
2 29 rules review committee under section 17A.4, subsection 5, and
2 30 section 17A.8, subsection 9, shall be applicable to a delay
2 31 imposed under this section, notwithstanding a provision in
2 32 those sections making them inapplicable to section 17A.5,
2 33 subsection 2, paragraph "b". Any rules adopted in accordance
2 34 with the provisions of this section shall also be published as
2 35 notice of intended action as provided in section 17A.4.
3 1 2. To the extent consistent with the provisions of this
3 2 Act, the department of human services may implement the
3 3 emergency assistance program by applying the provisions used
3 4 at the time this program last received an appropriation and
3 5 was fully implemented.
3 6 EXPLANATION
3 7 This bill provides for implementation of an emergency
3 8 assistance program to assist low=income persons who face
3 9 eviction, potential eviction, or foreclosure, utility shutoff
3 10 or fuel shortage, loss of heating energy supply or equipment,
3 11 homelessness, utility or rental deposits that cannot be paid,
3 12 or other specified crisis which threatens family or living
3 13 arrangements. The program was last funded by an appropriation
3 14 in 2002 Iowa Acts, Second Extraordinary Session, chapter 1003,
3 15 section 110. The bill codifies the requirements for the
3 16 program in new Code section 234.15.
3 17 An appropriation from the general fund of the state is
3 18 provided for implementation of the program. The department is
3 19 authorized to adopt rules for the program utilizing emergency
3 20 procedures that allow public comment periods to be eliminated
3 21 but maintain review by the administrative rules review
3 22 committee. The department may implement the emergency
3 23 assistance program by applying the provisions used at the time
3 24 this program last received an appropriation and was fully
3 25 implemented.
3 26 LSB 6336HH 81
3 27 jp:nh/gg/14