House File 223 - Introduced
HOUSE FILE
BY COMMITTEE ON LOCAL
GOVERNMENT
(SUCCESSOR TO HSB 9)
Passed House, Date Passed Senate, Date
Vote: Ayes Nays Vote: Ayes Nays
Approved
A BILL FOR
1 An Act relating to local governments by 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:
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PAG LIN
1 1 Section 1. Section 8.64, Code 2007, 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. State
1 11 agencies and school districts may also participate in a
1 12 community=wide area if joined by a county, city, or township.
1 13 3. "Department" means the department of management.
1 14 Sec. 2. NEW SECTION. 8.65 LOCAL GOVERNMENT INNOVATION
1 15 COMMISSION.
1 16 1. A local government innovation commission is created
1 17 consisting of fourteen voting members and four nonvoting
1 18 members.
1 19 a. Voting members of the commission shall be appointed for
1 20 a term of three years as follows:
1 21 (1) One member representing the executive branch appointed
1 22 by the governor.
1 23 (2) One member representing county government appointed by
1 24 the president of the Iowa state association of counties.
1 25 (3) One member representing city government appointed by
1 26 the president of the Iowa league of cities.
1 27 (4) One member representing community colleges appointed
1 28 by the president of the Iowa association of community college
1 29 presidents.
1 30 (5) One member representing school districts appointed by
1 31 the president of the Iowa association of school boards.
1 32 (6) One member representing the councils of governments
1 33 appointed by the president of the Iowa association of councils
1 34 of government.
1 35 (7) The administrator of the homeland security and
2 1 emergency management division of the Iowa department of public
2 2 defense.
2 3 (8) The director of the department of economic development
2 4 or the director's designee.
2 5 (9) Two members appointed by the governor, both of whom
2 6 shall possess private business expertise and who are not
2 7 employees of any level of government.
2 8 (10) Four members representing the general public, one
2 9 each appointed by the majority leader of the senate, the
2 10 minority leader of the senate, the speaker of the house of
2 11 representatives, and the minority leader of the house of
2 12 representatives.
2 13 b. Four nonvoting members of the general assembly shall be
2 14 appointed for a term of two years commencing at the convening
2 15 of each general assembly, one each appointed by the majority
2 16 leader of the senate, the minority leader of the senate, the
2 17 speaker of the house of representatives, and the minority
2 18 leader of the house of representatives. However, initial
2 19 appointments of members under this paragraph shall be made on
2 20 the effective date of this Act.
2 21 2. a. Terms of voting members shall begin and end as
2 22 provided by section 69.19. Any vacancy shall be filled in the
2 23 same manner as regular appointments are made for the unexpired
2 24 portion of the regular term.
2 25 b. Members of the commission shall be allowed their actual
2 26 and necessary expenses incurred in the performance of their
2 27 duties. The members of the commission representing the
2 28 general public shall also be compensated as provided in
2 29 section 7E.6. Per diem and expenses paid to commission
2 30 members shall be paid from moneys appropriated to the local
2 31 government innovation fund, except that the per diem and
2 32 expenses of members of the general assembly shall be paid
2 33 pursuant to section 2.12.
2 34 c. The commission shall meet in May of each year for the
2 35 purpose of electing one of its voting members as chairperson.
3 1 The commission shall meet at the call of the chairperson or
3 2 when a majority of the voting members of the commission files
3 3 a written request with the chairperson for a meeting. Written
3 4 notice of the time and place of each meeting shall be given to
3 5 each member of the commission.
3 6 d. A majority of the voting members of the commission
3 7 constitutes a quorum. Any action taken by the commission must
3 8 be adopted by the affirmative vote of a majority of its voting
3 9 membership.
3 10 e. The commission is located for administrative purposes
3 11 within the department. The department shall provide office
3 12 space, staff assistance, administrative support, and necessary
3 13 supplies and equipment to the commission.
3 14 Sec. 3. NEW SECTION. 8.66 DUTIES OF COMMISSION.
3 15 The commission shall do all of the following:
3 16 1. Promote, encourage, and advance innovation and
3 17 creativity in local governance.
3 18 2. Develop an application and review process for local
3 19 governance plans submitted to the commission by a community=
3 20 wide area. Results, strategies, and desired outcomes
3 21 identified by the commission in developing its application and
3 22 review process shall include but not be limited to the
3 23 following:
3 24 a. Cost savings to citizens, in particular lowering of
3 25 local government property taxes.
3 26 b. Creation of, or inducement to create, high=wage, stable
3 27 employment opportunities for a local government's citizens and
3 28 more effective leveraging of resources to improve competitive
3 29 advantage.
3 30 c. Elimination of duplication of government
3 31 administration.
3 32 d. More efficient and effective delivery of services by
3 33 government, including eliminating duplication of service
3 34 delivery by more than one unit of government in the same area
3 35 and modernizing services and service delivery to meet the
4 1 changing public service needs of the area.
4 2 e. Creation of a state=local partnership in one or more
4 3 areas of service delivery and governance that would increase
4 4 quality and efficiency on the local level.
4 5 3. Design an application form to be completed by a
4 6 community=wide area seeking review of a local governance and
4 7 revenue model. The application form shall employ a return on
4 8 investment concept that requires the community=wide area to
4 9 demonstrate how the local governance and revenue model will
4 10 result in reduced local government or state general fund
4 11 expenditures, how local government fund revenues will increase
4 12 without an increase in state costs, how local government
4 13 services will be provided more efficiently or will be of
4 14 increased quality resulting in greater value from the
4 15 expenditure of local government revenues, or how the model
4 16 develops partnerships with the state to provide increased
4 17 quality and efficiency on the local level.
4 18 4. Utilize the department of management, the department of
4 19 revenue, or other sources of technical expertise designated by
4 20 the commission to certify savings projected for a proposed
4 21 local governance and revenue model.
4 22 5. On or before January 1, 2009, submit to the general
4 23 assembly and to the office of the governor recommendations for
4 24 legislation that would provide flexibility and freedom to
4 25 local governments in implementing governance and revenue
4 26 models.
4 27 6. a. Prepare a request for proposals for establishment
4 28 of an Iowa center for governing excellence as provided in
4 29 section 8.68, and prepare procedures and a timetable for
4 30 submission and review of proposals and for selection of a
4 31 proposal. The proposal process shall be open to public and
4 32 private not=for=profit institutions of higher education
4 33 located in this state and accredited by the north central
4 34 association of colleges and secondary schools.
4 35 b. The request for proposals shall require each proposal
5 1 to provide for employment of a full=time director and
5 2 administrative assistant at the center.
5 3 c. The request for proposals shall require each proposal
5 4 to specify all of the following:
5 5 (1) The number and subject area specialties of the
5 6 research staff; the office space; the support staff; and the
5 7 computer, library, and research facilities to be provided by
5 8 the proposing institution.
5 9 (2) The personnel, facilities, and support provided for
5 10 the training of policymakers, public officials, and students
5 11 in areas including but not limited to public administration
5 12 and management, budgetary preparation and analysis, electronic
5 13 government, local=state government relations, and public
5 14 policy formulation, implementation, and evaluation.
5 15 (3) The funding to be committed by the proposing
5 16 institution.
5 17 7. Receive, file, and compile professor=sponsored student
5 18 research submitted by the community colleges and public and
5 19 private universities located in this state. Research
5 20 submitted shall be stored and made available in paper and
5 21 electronic form.
5 22 8. Oversee and direct the activities of the Iowa center
5 23 for governing excellence.
5 24 Sec. 4. NEW SECTION. 8.67 LOCAL GOVERNMENT INNOVATION
5 25 FUND.
5 26 1. A local government innovation fund is created in the
5 27 state treasury under the control of the department of
5 28 management for the purpose of stimulating and encouraging
5 29 innovation in local government by providing moneys for the
5 30 purpose of providing grants to assist in the implementation of
5 31 local governance and revenue models.
5 32 2. Officials of a community=wide area who have submitted a
5 33 local governance and revenue model to the commission for
5 34 review may apply to the commission for a grant from the local
5 35 government innovation fund to implement all or a portion of
6 1 such governance and revenue model. Officials seeking a grant
6 2 from the fund shall complete an application form designed by
6 3 the commission which employs a return on investment concept.
6 4 Minimum requirements for local government grant requests shall
6 5 be determined by the commission and adopted by rule by the
6 6 department of management.
6 7 3. Notwithstanding section 12C.7, subsection 2, interest
6 8 or earnings on moneys deposited in the local government
6 9 innovation fund shall be credited to the local government
6 10 innovation fund. Notwithstanding section 8.33, moneys
6 11 appropriated to and moneys remaining in the local government
6 12 innovation fund at the end of a fiscal year shall not revert
6 13 to the general fund of the state.
6 14 Sec. 5. NEW SECTION. 8.68 IOWA CENTER FOR GOVERNING
6 15 EXCELLENCE.
6 16 1. The commission shall establish an Iowa center for
6 17 governing excellence. The purpose of the Iowa center for
6 18 governing excellence is to do all of the following:
6 19 a. Enhance the accountability, effectiveness, and
6 20 efficiency of Iowa's local governments and state agencies by
6 21 providing objective and nonpartisan research and training
6 22 support for policymakers and government officials.
6 23 b. Integrate the research capacities of the community
6 24 colleges and public and private universities located in this
6 25 state and of organizations representing local governments to
6 26 support management and policy research.
6 27 c. Facilitate dialogues among Iowa's state agencies, local
6 28 governments, community colleges, public and private
6 29 universities, organizations representing local governments,
6 30 and citizens on government policy design, implementation, and
6 31 evaluation.
6 32 2. After its creation, the center may solicit, accept, and
6 33 administer moneys contributed to the center by any source, and
6 34 may enter into contracts with public or private agencies or
6 35 may enter into agreements subject to chapter 28E with public
7 1 and private agencies in order to carry out its purposes. All
7 2 records of the center including but not limited to records of
7 3 donations to the center and contracts or agreements entered
7 4 into by the center shall be public records for purposes of
7 5 chapter 22.
7 6 3. The center shall submit an annual report of the
7 7 activities of the center to the governor and to the general
7 8 assembly as provided in section 7A.11A by January 15 of each
7 9 year.
7 10 4. The local government innovation commission created in
7 11 section 8.65 shall oversee and direct the activities of the
7 12 Iowa center for governing excellence.
7 13 Sec. 6. EFFECTIVE DATE. This Act, being deemed of
7 14 immediate importance, takes effect upon enactment.
7 15 EXPLANATION
7 16 This bill makes changes relating to local governments by
7 17 creating a local government innovation commission and fund and
7 18 by creating a center for governing excellence.
7 19 The bill creates the local government innovation
7 20 commission, which is located in the department of management
7 21 for administrative purposes. Members of the commission
7 22 represent the executive branch, county and city governments,
7 23 school districts, community colleges, councils of governments,
7 24 the homeland security and emergency management division of the
7 25 Iowa department of public defense, the department of economic
7 26 development, and the private business sector. Four members of
7 27 the general assembly are appointed as nonvoting members of the
7 28 commission. The commission is to develop a request for
7 29 results application and review process to review local
7 30 governance and revenue models submitted by community=wide
7 31 areas. The bill requires the commission to report to the
7 32 general assembly and to the governor's office on or before
7 33 January 1, 2009, with recommendations for legislative changes
7 34 that would provide flexibility and freedom to community=wide
7 35 areas in implementing governance and revenue models. The bill
8 1 defines "community=wide area".
8 2 The bill directs the commission to prepare a request for
8 3 proposals for establishment of an Iowa center for governing
8 4 excellence. The bill provides that the purpose of the center
8 5 for governing excellence is to provide objective and
8 6 nonpartisan research and training for policymakers and
8 7 government officials; to integrate the research capacities of
8 8 community colleges and public and private universities and of
8 9 local government organizations; and to facilitate dialogues
8 10 among Iowa's state agencies, local governments, community
8 11 colleges, universities, and citizens on government policy
8 12 design, implementation, and evaluation. The bill provides
8 13 that the activities of the Iowa center for governing
8 14 excellence shall be directed and supervised by the local
8 15 government innovation commission.
8 16 The bill creates a local government innovation fund for the
8 17 purpose of providing grants to community=wide areas to assist
8 18 in the implementation of local governance and revenue models
8 19 that have been reviewed by the commission.
8 20 The bill takes effect upon enactment.
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