Senate File 2370 - Introduced
SENATE FILE
BY COMMITTEE ON LOCAL
GOVERNMENT
(SUCCESSOR TO SSB 3243)
Passed Senate, Date Passed House, Date
Vote: Ayes Nays Vote: Ayes Nays
Approved
A BILL FOR
1 An Act relating to local government innovation, creating a local
2 government innovation commission and fund, creating a center
3 for governing excellence, and including an effective date.
4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
5 TLSB 5791SV 81
6 sc/cf/24
PAG LIN
1 1 Section 1. Section 8.64, Code 2005, is amended by striking
1 2 the section and inserting in lieu thereof the following:
1 3 8.64 DEFINITIONS.
1 4 For purposes of sections 8.65 through 8.68:
1 5 1. "Commission" means the local government innovation
1 6 commission.
1 7 2. "Community=wide area" means a distinct geographical
1 8 area voluntarily formed by and comprised of counties, cities,
1 9 or townships, or any combination thereof, all of which possess
1 10 a degree of autonomy in a varying number of matters.
1 11 3. "Department" means the department of management.
1 12 Sec. 2. NEW SECTION. 8.65 LOCAL GOVERNMENT INNOVATION
1 13 COMMISSION.
1 14 1. A local government innovation commission is created
1 15 consisting of thirteen voting members and four nonvoting
1 16 members.
1 17 a. Voting members of the commission shall be appointed for
1 18 a term of three years as follows:
1 19 (1) One member representing the executive branch appointed
1 20 by the governor.
1 21 (2) One member representing county government appointed by
1 22 the president of the Iowa state association of counties.
1 23 (3) One member representing city government appointed by
1 24 the president of the Iowa league of cities.
1 25 (4) One member representing community colleges appointed
1 26 by the president of the Iowa association of community college
1 27 presidents.
1 28 (5) One member representing the councils of governments
1 29 appointed by the president of the Iowa association of councils
1 30 of government.
1 31 (6) The administrator of the homeland security and
1 32 emergency management division of the Iowa department of public
1 33 defense.
1 34 (7) The director of the department of economic development
1 35 or the director's designee.
2 1 (8) Two members representing the general public appointed
2 2 by the governor.
2 3 (9) Four members representing the general public, one each
2 4 appointed by the majority leader of the senate, the minority
2 5 leader of the senate, the speaker of the house of
2 6 representatives, and the minority leader of the house of
2 7 representatives.
2 8 b. Four nonvoting members of the general assembly shall be
2 9 appointed for a term of two years commencing at the convening
2 10 of each general assembly, one each appointed by the majority
2 11 leader of the senate, the minority leader of the senate, the
2 12 speaker of the house of representatives, and the minority
2 13 leader of the house of representatives. However, initial
2 14 appointments of members under this paragraph shall be made on
2 15 the effective date of this Act.
2 16 2. a. Terms of voting members shall begin and end as
2 17 provided by section 69.19. Any vacancy shall be filled in the
2 18 same manner as regular appointments are made for the unexpired
2 19 portion of the regular term.
2 20 b. Members of the commission shall be allowed their actual
2 21 and necessary expenses incurred in the performance of their
2 22 duties. The members of the commission representing the
2 23 general public shall also be compensated as provided in
2 24 section 7E.6. Per diem and expenses paid to commission
2 25 members shall be paid from moneys appropriated to the local
2 26 government innovation fund, except that the per diem and
2 27 expenses of members of the general assembly shall be paid
2 28 pursuant to section 2.12.
2 29 c. The commission shall meet in May of each year for the
2 30 purpose of electing one of its voting members as chairperson.
2 31 The commission shall meet at the call of the chairperson or
2 32 when a majority of the voting members of the commission files
2 33 a written request with the chairperson for a meeting. Written
2 34 notice of the time and place of each meeting shall be given to
2 35 each member of the commission.
3 1 d. A majority of the voting members of the commission
3 2 constitutes a quorum. Any action taken by the commission must
3 3 be adopted by the affirmative vote of a majority of its voting
3 4 membership.
3 5 e. The commission is located for administrative purposes
3 6 within the department. The department shall provide office
3 7 space, staff assistance, administrative support, and necessary
3 8 supplies and equipment to the commission.
3 9 Sec. 3. NEW SECTION. 8.66 DUTIES OF COMMISSION.
3 10 The commission shall do all of the following:
3 11 1. Promote, encourage, and advance innovation and
3 12 creativity in local governance.
3 13 2. Develop an application and review process for local
3 14 governance plans submitted to the commission by a community=
3 15 wide area. Results, strategies, and desired outcomes
3 16 identified by the commission in developing its application and
3 17 review process shall include but not be limited to the
3 18 following:
3 19 a. Cost savings to citizens, in particular lowering of
3 20 local government property taxes.
3 21 b. Creation of, or inducement to create, high=wage, stable
3 22 employment opportunities for a local government's citizens and
3 23 more effective leveraging of resources to improve competitive
3 24 advantage.
3 25 c. Elimination of duplication of government
3 26 administration.
3 27 d. More efficient delivery of services by government,
3 28 including eliminating duplication of service delivery by more
3 29 than one unit of government in the same area.
3 30 e. Creation of a state=local partnership in one or more
3 31 areas of service delivery and governance that would increase
3 32 quality and efficiency on the local level.
3 33 3. Design an application form to be completed by a
3 34 community=wide area seeking review of a local governance and
3 35 revenue model. The application form shall employ a return on
4 1 investment concept which requires the community=wide area to
4 2 demonstrate how the local governance and revenue model will
4 3 result in reduced local government or state general fund
4 4 expenditures or how local government fund revenues will
4 5 increase without an increase in state costs, how local
4 6 government services will be provided more efficiently or will
4 7 be of increased quality resulting in greater value from the
4 8 expenditure of local government revenues, and how the model
4 9 develops partnerships with the state to provide increased
4 10 quality and efficiency on the local level.
4 11 4. Utilize the department of management, the department of
4 12 revenue, or other sources of technical expertise designated by
4 13 the commission to certify savings projected for a proposed
4 14 local governance and revenue model.
4 15 5. On or before January 1, 2008, submit to the general
4 16 assembly and to the office of the governor recommendations for
4 17 legislation that would provide flexibility and freedom to
4 18 local governments in implementing governance and revenue
4 19 models.
4 20 6. a. Prepare a request for proposal for establishment of
4 21 an Iowa center for governing excellence as provided in section
4 22 8.68.
4 23 b. The request for proposal shall require employment of a
4 24 full=time director and administrative assistant at the center.
4 25 Sec. 4. NEW SECTION. 8.67 LOCAL GOVERNMENT INNOVATION
4 26 FUND.
4 27 1. A local government innovation fund is created in the
4 28 state treasury under the control of the department of
4 29 management for the purpose of stimulating and encouraging
4 30 innovation in local government by providing moneys for the
4 31 purpose of providing grants to assist in the implementation of
4 32 local governance and revenue models.
4 33 2. Officials of a community=wide area who have submitted a
4 34 local governance and revenue model to the commission for
4 35 review may apply to the commission for a grant from the local
5 1 government innovation fund to implement all or a portion of
5 2 such governance and revenue model. Officials seeking a grant
5 3 from the fund shall complete an application form designed by
5 4 the commission which employs a return on investment concept.
5 5 Minimum requirements for local government grant requests shall
5 6 be determined by the commission and adopted by rule by the
5 7 department of management.
5 8 3. Notwithstanding section 12C.7, subsection 2, interest
5 9 or earnings on moneys deposited in the local government
5 10 innovation fund shall be credited to the local government
5 11 innovation fund. Notwithstanding section 8.33, moneys
5 12 appropriated to and moneys remaining in the local government
5 13 innovation fund at the end of a fiscal year shall not revert
5 14 to the general fund of the state.
5 15 Sec. 5. NEW SECTION. 8.68 IOWA CENTER FOR GOVERNING
5 16 EXCELLENCE.
5 17 1. The commission shall establish an Iowa center for
5 18 governing excellence. The purpose of the Iowa center for
5 19 governing excellence is to do all of the following:
5 20 a. Enhance the accountability, effectiveness, and
5 21 efficiency of Iowa's local governments and state agencies by
5 22 providing objective and nonpartisan research and training
5 23 support for policymakers and government officials.
5 24 b. Integrate the research capacities of the regents
5 25 universities and of organizations representing local
5 26 governments to support management and policy research.
5 27 c. Facilitate dialogues among Iowa's state agencies and
5 28 local governments, regents universities, organizations
5 29 representing local governments, and citizens on government
5 30 policy design, implementation, and evaluation.
5 31 2. After its creation, the center may solicit, accept, and
5 32 administer moneys contributed to the center by any source, and
5 33 may enter into contracts with public or private agencies in
5 34 order to carry out its purposes.
5 35 3. The center shall submit an annual report of the
6 1 activities of the center to the governor and to the general
6 2 assembly as provided in section 7A.11A by January 15 of each
6 3 year.
6 4 4. a. A governing board is created to oversee and direct
6 5 the activities of the Iowa center for governing excellence.
6 6 b. The governing board shall be composed of the following
6 7 members:
6 8 (1) A representative of state government appointed by the
6 9 governor.
6 10 (2) A representative of the Iowa league of cities
6 11 appointed by the president of the league.
6 12 (3) A representative of the Iowa state association of
6 13 counties appointed by the president of the association.
6 14 c. The governing board shall oversee the operations of the
6 15 Iowa center for governing excellence and shall make decisions
6 16 regarding research and training activities conducted by the
6 17 center.
6 18 Sec. 6. EFFECTIVE DATE. This Act, being deemed of
6 19 immediate importance, takes effect upon enactment.
6 20 EXPLANATION
6 21 This bill makes changes relating to local government
6 22 innovation.
6 23 The bill creates the local government innovation commission
6 24 which is located in the department of management for
6 25 administrative purposes. Members of the commission represent
6 26 the executive branch, county and city governments, community
6 27 colleges, councils of governments, the homeland security and
6 28 emergency management division of the Iowa department of public
6 29 defense, the department of economic development, and the
6 30 general public. Four members of the general assembly are
6 31 appointed as nonvoting members of the commission. The
6 32 commission is to develop a request for results application and
6 33 review process to review local governance and revenue models
6 34 submitted by community=wide areas. The bill requires the
6 35 commission to report to the general assembly and to the
7 1 governor's office on or before January 1, 2008, with
7 2 recommendations for legislative changes that would provide
7 3 flexibility and freedom to community=wide areas in
7 4 implementing governance and revenue models. The bill defines
7 5 "community=wide area".
7 6 The bill directs the commission to prepare a request for
7 7 proposal for establishment of an Iowa center for governing
7 8 excellence. The bill provides that the purpose of the center
7 9 for governing excellence is to provide objective and
7 10 nonpartisan research and training for policymakers and
7 11 government officials; to integrate the research capacities of
7 12 the regents universities and of local government
7 13 organizations; and to facilitate dialogues among Iowa's state
7 14 agencies, local governments, regents universities, and
7 15 citizens on government policy design, implementation, and
7 16 evaluation. The bill provides that the activities of the Iowa
7 17 center for governing excellence shall be directed and
7 18 supervised by a governing board comprised of a representative
7 19 of state government and of representatives of the Iowa league
7 20 of cities and the Iowa state association of counties.
7 21 The bill also creates a local government innovation fund
7 22 for the purpose of providing grants to community=wide areas to
7 23 assist in the implementation of local governance and revenue
7 24 models that have been reviewed by the commission.
7 25 LSB 5791SV 81
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