S.F. 2076 Section 1. NEW SECTION . 324A.8 Iowa employment rides 1 initiative —— grant program. 2 1. As used in this section, unless the context otherwise 3 requires, “employment transportation” means an urban or 4 rural program or service that provides an individual with 5 transportation solely to or from a workplace, including but not 6 limited to the following programs and services: 7 a. Expanding or sustaining existing transportation services 8 or service hours. 9 b. Coordinating ride share services, including car pool or 10 van pool services. 11 c. Shuttle services. 12 2. The Iowa employment rides initiative is established in 13 the department to provide funds to public transit systems for 14 programs and services that provide employment transportation 15 to Iowans. 16 3. The department shall award funds from the initiative 17 on a competitive grant basis. A grant shall not exceed one 18 hundred fifty thousand dollars. A grant application shall 19 contain a commitment from the public transit system of at least 20 a dollar-for-dollar match of the grant funds awarded. Moneys 21 charged to individuals receiving employment transportation 22 services cannot be used as matching funds. Grant funds shall 23 be used only for operational costs directly associated with 24 providing employment transportation and shall not be used for 25 capital expenditures or construction. 26 4. A public transit system may coordinate with other local, 27 state, or federal governmental agencies and private nonprofit 28 organizations in the administration of a program or service 29 receiving a grant under the initiative and in expenditure of 30 grant funds. 31 5. The department shall submit an annual report on the 32 outcomes of the initiative, including the grant amount, the 33 type of program or service receiving funds, and the number of 34 individuals served for each grant awarded by the initiative to 35 -1- LSB 5122XS (8) 85 je/sc 1/ 3

S.F. 2076 the general assembly by January 1 each year. As a condition of 1 having received a grant from the initiative, a public transit 2 system shall provide the department with information on any 3 program or service for which the public transit system is 4 awarded a grant from the initiative. 5 6. The department shall adopt rules to administer the 6 initiative, including but not limited to an application process 7 and grant award criteria. 8 7. There is appropriated from the general fund of the 9 state to the department, for the following fiscal years, the 10 following amounts, to be used for grants from the initiative: 11 a. For the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2014, and ending 12 June 30, 2015, the sum of one million dollars. 13 b. For the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2015, and ending 14 June 30, 2016, the sum of one million dollars. 15 c. For the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2016, and ending 16 June 30, 2017, the sum of one million dollars. 17 EXPLANATION 18 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 19 the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly. 20 This bill establishes an Iowa employment rides initiative 21 in the department of transportation to provide funds to 22 public transit systems for programs and services that provide 23 employment transportation to Iowans. 24 The bill defines “employment transportation” as an urban 25 or rural program or service that provides an individual with 26 transportation solely to or from a workplace, including but 27 not limited to expanding or sustaining existing transportation 28 services or service hours; coordinating ride share services, 29 including car pool or van pool services; and shuttle services. 30 A “public transit system” is defined under Code section 31 324A.1 as an urban or regional transit system providing 32 transit services accessible to the general public and receiving 33 federal, state, or local tax support. 34 The department shall award funds from the initiative on a 35 -2- LSB 5122XS (8) 85 je/sc 2/ 3

S.F. 2076 competitive grant basis. A grant cannot exceed $150,000. A 1 grant application must contain a commitment from the public 2 transit system of at least a dollar-for-dollar match of the 3 grant funds awarded. Moneys charged to individuals receiving 4 employment transportation services cannot be used as matching 5 funds. Grant funds can only be used for operational costs 6 directly associated with providing employment transportation 7 and cannot be used for capital expenditures or construction. 8 The bill permits a public transit system to coordinate 9 with other local, state, or federal governmental agencies and 10 private nonprofit organizations in the administration of a 11 program or service receiving a grant under the initiative and 12 in expenditure of grant funds awarded. 13 As a condition of receiving a grant from the initiative, 14 a public transit system must provide the department with 15 information on any program or service for which the public 16 transit system is awarded a grant. The bill requires the 17 department to submit an annual report on the outcomes of the 18 initiative, including the grant amount, the type of program 19 or service receiving funds, and the number of individuals 20 served for each grant awarded by the initiative to the general 21 assembly by January 1 each year. 22 The bill requires the department to adopt administrative 23 rules to administer the initiative, including but not limited 24 to an application process and grant award criteria. 25 The bill appropriates $1 million to the department per year 26 for fiscal years 2014-2015, 2015-2016, and 2016-2017, to be 27 used for Iowa employment rides initiative grants. 28 -3- LSB 5122XS (8) 85 je/sc 3/ 3