Senate Study Bill 1221
SENATE/HOUSE FILE
BY (PROPOSED GOVERNOR'S BILL)
Passed Senate, Date Passed House, 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 1720XL 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 From moneys in the grant fund, the executive council may award
1 8 financial assistance in the form of grants to meet
1 9 disaster=related expenses of governmental subdivisions
1 10 adversely affected by a disaster where the effect of the
1 11 disaster or action on the governmental subdivision is the
1 12 immediate financial inability to meet the continuing
1 13 requirements of local government. The aggregate total of
1 14 grants awarded during a fiscal year shall not be more than
1 15 three million five hundred thousand dollars. However, within
1 16 the same fiscal year, additional moneys may be authorized by
1 17 the executive council pursuant to section 29C.20, subsection
1 18 1, paragraph "a", subparagraph (6), or as otherwise provided
1 19 by law to meet additional needs of governmental subdivisions
1 20 receiving grants under this section. Grants awarded under
1 21 this section shall be administered by the homeland security
1 22 and emergency management division of the department of public
1 23 defense.
1 24 2. The amount of a grant shall be made at the discretion
1 25 of the executive council and, if made, shall not exceed
1 26 seventy=five percent of the documented disaster=related
1 27 expenses incurred by a governmental subdivision. An applicant
1 28 for a grant shall sign an affidavit agreeing to refund any
1 29 part of the grant that is duplicated by any other assistance,
1 30 such as but not limited to insurance or assistance from the
1 31 federal emergency management agency.
1 32 3. The homeland security and emergency management division
1 33 shall adopt rules pursuant to chapter 17A to create the Iowa
1 34 disaster aid local government assistance grant program for
1 35 purposes of awarding and administering grants from the
2 1 disaster aid local government assistance grant fund. The
2 2 rules shall specify the eligibility of applicants and projects
2 3 eligible for funding. The rules shall be based on the public
2 4 assistance program created within the federal Robert T.
2 5 Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, Pub. L.
2 6 No. 93=288, as amended.
2 7 4. The executive council shall authorize moneys in the
2 8 disaster aid local government assistance grant fund to be used
2 9 to reimburse the homeland security and emergency management
2 10 division for actual expenses associated with the
2 11 administration of the grants.
2 12 5. The homeland security and emergency management division
2 13 shall submit an annual report, by January 1 of each year, to
2 14 the legislative fiscal committee and the legislative
2 15 government oversight committee concerning the activities of
2 16 the grant program in the previous fiscal year.
2 17 EXPLANATION
2 18 This bill creates a disaster aid local government
2 19 assistance grant fund in the state treasury for use by the
2 20 executive council. The bill provides that from moneys in the
2 21 grant fund, the executive council may award financial
2 22 assistance in the form of grants to meet disaster=related
2 23 expenses of governmental subdivisions adversely affected by a
2 24 disaster where the effect of the disaster or action on the
2 25 governmental subdivision is the immediate financial inability
2 26 to meet the continuing requirements of local government. The
2 27 aggregate total of grants awarded from the disaster aid local
2 28 government assistance grant fund during a fiscal year shall
2 29 not be more than $3.5 million. The bill provides that, within
2 30 the same fiscal year, additional moneys may be authorized by
2 31 the executive council from other funds to meet additional
2 32 needs of governmental subdivisions receiving financial
2 33 assistance from the disaster aid local government assistance
2 34 grant fund. The bill requires the homeland security and
2 35 emergency management division of the department of public
3 1 defense to administer awarded grants. The bill provides that
3 2 the amount of the grant shall be at the discretion of the
3 3 executive council and, if made, shall not exceed 75 percent of
3 4 the documented disaster=related expenses incurred by the
3 5 governmental subdivision. The bill requires the homeland
3 6 security and emergency management division to adopt
3 7 administrative rules specifying the eligibility of applicants
3 8 and projects eligible for funding. The bill requires the
3 9 executive council to authorize moneys in the disaster aid
3 10 local government assistance grant fund to be used to reimburse
3 11 the homeland security and emergency management division for
3 12 actual expenses associated with the administration of the
3 13 grants. The bill includes annual reporting requirements.
3 14 LSB 1720XL 83
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