SF 2180 (LSB 5849XS (2) 84)

SENATE FILE 2180

BY  DANIELSON

A BILL FOR

An Act relating to the Iowa disaster aid individual assistance grant program administered by the department of human services.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:

    Section 1.  Section 29C.20A, subsection 2, Code Supplement 2011, is amended to read as follows:
   2.  The grant funds shall be administered by the department of human services. The department shall adopt rules to create the Iowa disaster aid individual assistance grant program. The rules shall specify the eligibility of applicants and eligible items for grant funding. The executive council shall use grant funds to reimburse the department of human services for its actual expenses associated with the administration of the grants.

The department of human services may implement an ongoing contract with a provider or providers of a statewide program with local offices throughout the state to serve as the local administrative entity for the grant program so that the program can be implemented with minimal delay when a disaster occurs in a local area. The rules adopted by the department of human services for the program shall include but are not limited to all of the following:
   a.  If a local administrative entity is under contract with the state to provide other services or is implementing a state or federal program and the contract contains a sufficient surety bond or other adequate financial responsibility provision, the department shall accept the existing surety bond or financial responsibility provision in lieu of applying a new or additional surety bond or financial responsibility requirement.
   b.  If the president of the United States has declared a major disaster to exist in this state and federal aid is made available to provide assistance grants to individuals similar to that provided by the Iowa disaster aid individual assistance grant program, the Iowa program shall be continued in a manner that complements and augments the federal aid provisions.
   c.  Authorization for the local administrative entity to draw grant funding to pay valid claims on at least a weekly basis.
   d.  If the local administrative entity operates another program and, in accordance with the federal office of management and budget cost principles for nonprofit organizations, receives a federally approved indirect cost rate or has a state-recognized cost plan, the administrative entity’s administrative costs for the grant program shall be paid in accordance with the cost rate provisions or cost plan, as applicable. Otherwise, the administrative entity’s administrative costs shall be limited to ten percent of the amount of the grant funds administered by the entity.
   e.  The grant program shall be administered in a manner that is integrated with the disaster case management system implemented pursuant to section 29C.20B.
EXPLANATION
   This bill relates to the Iowa disaster aid individual assistance grant program administered by the department of human services.
   The department is authorized by the bill to implement an ongoing contract with a provider or providers of a statewide program with local offices throughout the state to serve as the local administrative entity for the grant program so that the program can be implemented with minimal delay when a disaster occurs in a local area.
   The rules adopted by the department of human services are required by the bill to include the following: require acceptance of an administrative entity’s existing surety bond or other financial responsibility provisions from another contract with the state; provide for adaptation and continuation of the state grant program if federal aid provisions are implemented; provide for the administrative entity to draw grant funding on at least a weekly basis; provide certain methods for calculating the administrative entity’s administrative costs; and require the grant program to be integrated with the disaster case management program administered by the homeland security and emergency management division under Code section 29C.20B.