House File 704 - Introduced
HOUSE FILE
BY COMMITTEE ON REBUILD IOWA
AND DISASTER RECOVERY
(SUCCESSOR TO HSB 208)
(COMPANION TO SF 290 BY
COMMITTEE ON REBUILD IOWA)
Passed House, Date Passed Senate, Date
Vote: Ayes Nays Vote: Ayes Nays
Approved
A BILL FOR
1 An Act creating a disaster aid local government assistance grant
2 program and fund.
3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
4 TLSB 1720HV 83
5 tm/rj/5
PAG LIN
1 1 Section 1. NEW SECTION. 29C.20B DISASTER AID LOCAL
1 2 GOVERNMENT ASSISTANCE GRANT PROGRAM AND FUND.
1 3 1. A disaster aid local government assistance grant fund
1 4 is created in the state treasury under the control of the
1 5 executive council. Moneys in the fund may be expended
1 6 following a governor's proclamation of a disaster emergency.
1 7 The executive council may award grants from the fund to
1 8 governmental subdivisions for disaster=related expenses. The
1 9 aggregate total of grants awarded during a fiscal year shall
1 10 not be more than three million five hundred thousand dollars.
1 11 However, within the same fiscal year, additional moneys may be
1 12 authorized by the executive council pursuant to section
1 13 29C.20, subsection 1, paragraph "a", subparagraph (6), or as
1 14 otherwise provided by law to meet additional needs of
1 15 governmental subdivisions receiving grants under this section.
1 16 Grants awarded under this section shall be administered by the
1 17 homeland security and emergency management division of the
1 18 department of public defense.
1 19 2. The amount of a grant shall be made at the discretion
1 20 of the executive council and, if made, shall not exceed
1 21 seventy=five percent of the documented disaster=related
1 22 expenses incurred by a governmental subdivision. An applicant
1 23 for a grant shall sign an affidavit agreeing to refund any
1 24 part of the grant that is duplicated by any other assistance,
1 25 such as but not limited to insurance or assistance from the
1 26 federal emergency management agency.
1 27 3. The homeland security and emergency management division
1 28 shall adopt rules pursuant to chapter 17A to create the Iowa
1 29 disaster aid local government assistance grant program for
1 30 purposes of awarding and administering grants from the
1 31 disaster aid local government assistance grant fund. The
1 32 rules shall specify the eligibility of applicants and projects
1 33 eligible for funding. The rules shall be based on the public
1 34 assistance program created within the federal Robert T.
1 35 Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, Pub. L.
2 1 No. 93=288, as amended.
2 2 4. The executive council shall authorize moneys in the
2 3 disaster aid local government assistance grant fund to be used
2 4 to reimburse the homeland security and emergency management
2 5 division for actual expenses associated with the
2 6 administration of the grants.
2 7 5. The homeland security and emergency management division
2 8 shall submit an annual report, by January 1 of each year, to
2 9 the legislative fiscal committee and the legislative
2 10 government oversight committee concerning the activities of
2 11 the grant program in the previous fiscal year.
2 12 6. For purposes of this section, "governmental
2 13 subdivision" means the same as defined in section 29C.20,
2 14 subsection 6.
2 15 EXPLANATION
2 16 This bill creates a disaster aid local government
2 17 assistance grant fund in the state treasury for use by the
2 18 executive council. The bill provides that the executive
2 19 council may award grants to governmental subdivisions for
2 20 disaster=related expenses. The aggregate total of grants
2 21 awarded from the disaster aid local government assistance
2 22 grant fund during a fiscal year shall not be more than $3.5
2 23 million. The bill provides that, within the same fiscal year,
2 24 additional moneys may be authorized by the executive council
2 25 from other funds to meet additional needs of governmental
2 26 subdivisions receiving financial assistance from the disaster
2 27 aid local government assistance grant fund. The bill requires
2 28 the homeland security and emergency management division of the
2 29 department of public defense to administer awarded grants.
2 30 The bill provides that the amount of the grant shall be at the
2 31 discretion of the executive council and, if made, shall not
2 32 exceed 75 percent of the documented disaster=related expenses
2 33 incurred by the governmental subdivision. The bill requires
2 34 the homeland security and emergency management division to
2 35 adopt administrative rules specifying the eligibility of
3 1 applicants and projects eligible for funding. The bill
3 2 requires the executive council to authorize moneys in the
3 3 disaster aid local government assistance grant fund to be used
3 4 to reimburse the homeland security and emergency management
3 5 division for actual expenses associated with the
3 6 administration of the grants. The bill includes annual
3 7 reporting requirements.
3 8 LSB 1720HV 83
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