House File 619 - Introduced
HOUSE FILE
BY MAY
Passed House, Date Passed Senate, Date
Vote: Ayes Nays Vote: Ayes Nays
Approved
A BILL FOR
1 An Act creating the service enhancement grant program for county
2 veteran affairs, providing an appropriation, and providing an
3 effective date.
4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
5 TLSB 1371YH 82
6 eg/je/5
PAG LIN
1 1 Section 1. Section 35A.5, Code 2007, is amended by adding
1 2 the following new subsection:
1 3 NEW SUBSECTION. 10A. Administer grant programs under
1 4 sections 35A.14 and 35A.15.
1 5 Sec. 2. NEW SECTION. 35A.15 SERVICE ENHANCEMENT GRANT
1 6 PROGRAM.
1 7 1. The service enhancement grant program is created under
1 8 the control of the department to provide grants to improve
1 9 service to veterans in the following counties:
1 10 a. A county having an executive director who is employed
1 11 for less than twenty hours a week.
1 12 b. A county sharing services of an executive director
1 13 pursuant to a chapter 28E agreement if the executive director
1 14 is employed to serve that county for less than twenty hours a
1 15 week.
1 16 2. To be eligible to receive a grant, the department must
1 17 find that the county is providing service to the county's
1 18 veterans, using the following benchmarks:
1 19 a. The county provides up=to=date training, beyond that
1 20 offered by the department, to the executive director.
1 21 b. The overall number and percentage of eligible veterans
1 22 receiving both federal and state benefits demonstrates the
1 23 county's efforts to serve veterans within the county.
1 24 c. Other benchmarks deemed appropriate by the department
1 25 and established by rule.
1 26 3. The department may receive and accept donations,
1 27 grants, gifts, and contributions from any public or private
1 28 source for the purpose of providing grants under this section.
1 29 Moneys received by the department pursuant to this subsection
1 30 shall be deposited in a service enhancement trust fund which
1 31 shall be created in the state treasury under the control of
1 32 the department. Moneys credited to the trust fund are
1 33 appropriated to the department for the purpose of providing
1 34 service enhancement grants under this section and shall not be
1 35 transferred, used, obligated, appropriated, or otherwise
2 1 encumbered, except as provided in this section.
2 2 Notwithstanding section 12C.7, subsection 2, interest or
2 3 earnings on moneys in the trust fund shall be credited to the
2 4 trust fund.
2 5 4. Moneys appropriated to or received by the department
2 6 for providing grants under this section may be expended for
2 7 grants totaling thirty thousand dollars to an eligible county,
2 8 as follows:
2 9 a. For the first year, ten thousand dollars.
2 10 b. For the second year, eight thousand dollars.
2 11 c. For the third year, six thousand dollars.
2 12 d. For the fourth year, four thousand dollars.
2 13 e. For the fifth year, two thousand dollars.
2 14 5. The department shall adopt rules pursuant to chapter
2 15 17A to administer this section.
2 16 Sec. 3. SERVICE ENHANCEMENT GRANT PROGRAM ==
2 17 APPROPRIATION. There is appropriated from the general fund of
2 18 the state to the department of veterans affairs for the fiscal
2 19 year beginning July 1, 2007, and ending June 30, 2008, the
2 20 following amount, or so much thereof as is necessary, to be
2 21 used for the purposes designated:
2 22 For deposit in the service enhancement trust fund:
2 23 .................................................. $ 1,500,000
2 24 Sec. 4. EFFECTIVE DATE. This Act, being deemed of
2 25 immediate importance, takes effect upon enactment.
2 26 EXPLANATION
2 27 For counties having only a part=time executive director of
2 28 veteran affairs, this bill creates a grant program under the
2 29 department of veterans affairs by which such county may
2 30 receive a five=year grant totaling $30,000. To be eligible,
2 31 the department must find that the county has attained
2 32 identified benchmarks, including up=to=date training for the
2 33 executive director and that the overall number and percentage
2 34 of eligible veterans receiving both federal and state benefits
2 35 demonstrates the county's service to veterans within the
3 1 county.
3 2 The bill provides for an appropriation of $1,500,000 for FY
3 3 2007=2008.
3 4 The bill also provides for an immediate effective date.
3 5 LSB 1371YH 82
3 6 eg:sc/je/5