House File 357 - Introduced



                                       HOUSE FILE       
                                       BY  COMMITTEE ON PUBLIC SAFETY

                                       (SUCCESSOR TO HSB 55)


    Passed House, Date               Passed Senate,  Date             
    Vote:  Ayes        Nays           Vote:  Ayes        Nays         
                 Approved                            

                                      A BILL FOR

  1 An Act creating a disaster aid individual assistance grant fund.
  2 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
  3 TLSB 1266HV 82
  4 ec/gg/14

PAG LIN



  1  1    Section 1.  NEW SECTION.  29C.20A  DISASTER AID INDIVIDUAL
  1  2 ASSISTANCE GRANT FUND.
  1  3    1.  A disaster aid individual assistance grant fund is
  1  4 created in the state treasury for the use of the executive
  1  5 council.  Moneys in the fund may be expended following the
  1  6 governor's proclamation of a state of disaster emergency.  The
  1  7 executive council may make financial grants to meet
  1  8 disaster=related expenses or serious needs of individuals or
  1  9 families adversely affected by a disaster which cannot
  1 10 otherwise be met by other means of financial assistance.  The
  1 11 aggregate total of grants awarded shall not be more than one
  1 12 million dollars during a fiscal year.  However, within the
  1 13 same fiscal year, additional funds may be specifically
  1 14 authorized by the executive council to meet additional needs.
  1 15    2.  The grant funds shall be administered by the department
  1 16 of human services.  The department shall adopt rules to create
  1 17 the Iowa disaster aid individual assistance grant program.
  1 18 The rules shall specify the eligibility of applicants and
  1 19 eligible items for grant funding.  The rules shall be adopted
  1 20 no later than January 1, 2008.  The executive council shall
  1 21 use grant funds to reimburse the department of human services
  1 22 for its actual expenses associated with the administration of
  1 23 the grants.
  1 24    3.  The amount of a grant shall not exceed twenty=five
  1 25 percent of one hundred thirty percent of the federal poverty
  1 26 level as defined by the most recently revised poverty income
  1 27 guidelines published by the United States department of health
  1 28 and human services.  Expenses eligible for grant funding shall
  1 29 be limited to personal property, home repair, and temporary
  1 30 housing assistance.  An applicant for a grant shall sign an
  1 31 affidavit committing to refund any part of the grant that is
  1 32 duplicated by any other assistance, such as but not limited to
  1 33 insurance or assistance from community development groups,
  1 34 charities, the small business administration, and the federal
  1 35 emergency management agency.
  2  1                           EXPLANATION
  2  2    This bill, in new Code section 29C.20A, creates a disaster
  2  3 aid individual assistance grant fund for the use of the
  2  4 executive council.  The fund may be used to make financial
  2  5 grants of up to $1 million in a fiscal year following a
  2  6 governor's disaster proclamation to meet the needs of
  2  7 individuals affected by the disaster.  The fund will be
  2  8 administered by the department of human services, which shall
  2  9 adopt appropriate rules.  In addition, the executive council
  2 10 shall use grant funds to reimburse the department of human
  2 11 services for its expenses in administering the fund.  Grants
  2 12 are limited to 25 percent of 130 percent of the federal
  2 13 poverty level and may be used only for replacement of personal
  2 14 property, home repair, and temporary housing assistance.
  2 15 LSB 1266HV 82
  2 16 ec:nh/gg/14