House Study Bill 622 SENATE/HOUSE FILE BY (PROPOSED DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT BILL) Passed Senate, Date Passed House, Date Vote: Ayes Nays Vote: Ayes Nays Approved A BILL FOR 1 An Act relating to programs administered by the commission on 2 volunteer service by establishing Iowa summer youth corps and 3 green corps programs, creating the Iowa summer youth corps 4 account and making appropriations from the account, excluding 5 certain payments provided to an AmeriCorps volunteer from 6 state income tax, and providing a retroactive applicability 7 provision. 8 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 9 TLSB 5497XD 82 10 jp/nh/24 PAG LIN 1 1 Section 1. NEW SECTION. 15H.5 IOWA SUMMER YOUTH CORPS. 1 2 1. For the purposes of this section, "service=learning" 1 3 means a teaching and learning strategy that integrates 1 4 meaningful community service with instruction and reflection 1 5 to enrich the learning experience, teach civic responsibility, 1 6 and strengthen communities. 1 7 2. The Iowa summer youth corps program is established to 1 8 provide meaningful summer enrichment programming to Iowa 1 9 youth. The program shall be administered by the Iowa 1 10 commission on volunteer service by issuing grants for projects 1 11 implemented in accordance with program requirements. The 1 12 commission shall adopt administrative rules for the program, 1 13 including but not limited to incentives, grant criteria, and 1 14 grantee selection processes. 1 15 3. The program shall provide grants for projects that 1 16 utilize a service=learning approach during the summer months 1 17 to enhance student achievement and summer learning retention, 1 18 teach meaningful job skills to Iowa youth, engage Iowa youth 1 19 in their communities, and provide positive youth development 1 20 experiences. The service=learning approach shall be 1 21 integrated into the program using science, technology, 1 22 engineering, mathematics, social studies, civic literacy, or 1 23 other appropriate curricula identified by the department of 1 24 education. 1 25 4. The program shall involve the youth participating in 1 26 the program in service=learning activities with one or more of 1 27 the following focuses: 1 28 a. Energy conservation in the youth's community, including 1 29 conducting educational outreach on energy conservation and 1 30 working to improve energy efficiency in low=income housing and 1 31 public spaces. 1 32 b. Emergency and disaster preparedness. 1 33 c. Improving access to and obtaining the benefits from 1 34 providing computers and other emerging technologies in public 1 35 settings, including in low=income or rural communities, senior 2 1 centers and communities, schools, libraries, and other public 2 2 settings. 2 3 d. Mentoring of middle school youth while involving all 2 4 participants in service=learning to address unmet human, 2 5 educational, environmental, public safety, or emergency 2 6 disaster preparedness needs in the participants' community. 2 7 e. Establishing or implementing summer of service projects 2 8 during the summer months. Budgeting for a summer of service 2 9 project shall include the cost of recruitment, training, and 2 10 placement of service=learning coordinators. A summer of 2 11 service project shall comply with all of the following 2 12 requirements: 2 13 (1) Youth participating in a project will be enrolled in 2 14 grades six through twelve in the school year which begins 2 15 immediately following the end of a project. 2 16 (2) The focus of each project shall be community=based 2 17 service=learning activities that address unmet human, 2 18 educational, environmental, emergency and disaster 2 19 preparedness, and public service needs. Environmental needs 2 20 addressed may include energy conservation, water quality, and 2 21 land stewardship. 2 22 (3) The activities for each project shall be intensive, 2 23 structured, supervised, and designed to produce identifiable 2 24 improvements to the community. The activities may include the 2 25 extension of school year service=learning programs into the 2 26 summer months. 2 27 5. a. Funding for the Iowa summer youth corps program 2 28 shall be paid from appropriations and other funds credited to 2 29 the Iowa summer youth corps account for purposes of the 2 30 program, which account shall be created within the department 2 31 of economic development under the authority of the commission. 2 32 Moneys available in the account for a fiscal year are 2 33 appropriated to the commission to be used for the program. 2 34 b. The commission shall manage the program in a manner to 2 35 maximize the leveraging of federal, local, and private funding 3 1 opportunities that increase or amplify program impact and 3 2 service=learning opportunities. The commission shall also 3 3 encourage collaboration with, and utilization of, other 3 4 national and community service programs. 3 5 c. The commission shall give priority consideration to 3 6 approving those projects that target communities that have 3 7 disproportionately high rates of juvenile crime or low rates 3 8 of high school graduation. 3 9 d. The commission shall include progress information 3 10 concerning implementation of the program in the quarterly 3 11 reports made to the governor and general assembly in 3 12 accordance with section 15H.2. 3 13 6. a. Notwithstanding any contrary provision of chapter 3 14 8A, subchapter IV, or chapter 96, a person participating in 3 15 the Iowa summer youth corps program shall be exempt from merit 3 16 system requirements and shall not be eligible to receive 3 17 unemployment compensation benefits. 3 18 b. If a stipend is provided to a youth participating in 3 19 the program, the youth shall be age fourteen through eighteen. 3 20 c. A youth participating in a summer of service project 3 21 that either has an education award or no compensation shall 3 22 comply with the grade level requirements specified for summer 3 23 of service project participation. 3 24 d. A project that uses funding for an AmeriCorps young 3 25 adult component within the project design shall limit 3 26 participation in the component to young adults who are age 3 27 eighteen through twenty=five at the time of enrollment in the 3 28 project. 3 29 Sec. 2. NEW SECTION. 15H.6 IOWA GREEN CORPS PROGRAM. 3 30 1. The Iowa commission on volunteer service, in 3 31 collaboration with the department of natural resources, the 3 32 department of workforce development, and the utilities board 3 33 of the department of commerce shall establish an Iowa green 3 34 corps program. The commission shall work with the 3 35 collaborating agencies in developing a strategy for leveraging 4 1 additional financial resources for the program from private 4 2 utilities, local municipalities, and federal funding sources. 4 3 2. The program shall utilize AmeriCorps or Iowa summer 4 4 youth corps program volunteers to provide capacity building 4 5 activities, training, and implementation of major 4 6 transformative projects in communities. The project selection 4 7 shall emphasize energy efficiency, historic preservation, and 4 8 storm water reduction and management. 4 9 3. The capacity building activities shall be targeted in 4 10 communities that are already working with existing community 4 11 improvement programs, including but not limited to the Iowa 4 12 great places program established under section 303.3C and the 4 13 green streets program administered by the department of 4 14 economic development. 4 15 Sec. 3. Section 422.7, Code Supplement 2007, is amended by 4 16 adding the following new subsection: 4 17 NEW SUBSECTION. 23. Subtract, to the extent included, the 4 18 amount of AmeriCorps living allowance payments and federal 4 19 Segal education award payments. 4 20 Sec. 4. RETROACTIVE APPLICABILITY. The provision of this 4 21 Act amending section 422.7 is retroactively applicable to 4 22 January 1, 2008, and is applicable on and after that date. 4 23 EXPLANATION 4 24 This bill relates to programs administered by the 4 25 commission on volunteer service by establishing Iowa summer 4 26 youth corps and green corps programs, creating the Iowa summer 4 27 youth corps account and making appropriations from the 4 28 account, excluding certain payments provided to an AmeriCorps 4 29 volunteer from state income tax, and providing a retroactive 4 30 applicability provision. 4 31 New Code section 15H.5 establishes the Iowa summer youth 4 32 corps program under the authority of the commission to provide 4 33 meaningful summer enrichment programming to Iowa youth, 4 34 requires the program to be implemented by grants for projects, 4 35 defines the term "service=learning", requires the 5 1 participating youth to be engaged with various specified 5 2 service=learning activities, outlines requirements for "summer 5 3 of service" projects for youth who will be entering grades six 5 4 through 12, creates an Iowa summer youth corps account, and 5 5 appropriates any funding available in the account to the 5 6 commission for the program. 5 7 A participant in the youth corps program is exempt from 5 8 state merit system requirements and is not eligible to receive 5 9 unemployment compensation benefits. If a stipend is provided, 5 10 the participant must be age 14 through 18. If a project uses 5 11 funding for an AmeriCorps young adult component, participation 5 12 in the component is limited to young adults who are age 18 5 13 through 25 at the time of enrollment. 5 14 New Code section 15H.6 directs the commission on volunteer 5 15 service, in collaboration with the departments of natural 5 16 resources and workforce development, and the utilities board, 5 17 to establish an Iowa green corps program. The program is 5 18 required to use AmeriCorps or Iowa summer youth corps program 5 19 volunteers to provide capacity building activities, training, 5 20 and implementation of major transformative projects in 5 21 communities. The project selection shall emphasize energy 5 22 efficiency, historic preservation, and storm water reduction 5 23 and management. The capacity building activities are required 5 24 to be targeted to communities that are already working with 5 25 existing community improvement programs. 5 26 Code section 422.7 is amended to exclude from state 5 27 individual income tax the amount of AmeriCorps living 5 28 allowance payments and federal Segal education award payments. 5 29 This provision applies retroactively to January 1, 2008, for 5 30 tax years beginning on or after that date. 5 31 LSB 5497XD 82 5 32 jp/nh/24.1