HSB 150 (LSB 2329YC (3) 86)

HOUSE FILE _____

BY  (PROPOSED COMMITTEE ON HUMAN RESOURCES BILL BY CHAIRPERSON MILLER)

A BILL FOR

An Act creating a disaster case management grant fund and program.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:

    Section 1.  Section 29C.20B, Code 2015, is amended by striking the section and inserting in lieu thereof the following:
   29C.20B  Disaster case management grant fund and program.
   1.  a.  A disaster case management grant fund is created in the state treasury for the use of the executive council. Moneys in the fund may be expended following the governor’s proclamation of a state of disaster emergency or the declaration of a major disaster by the president of the United States.
   b.  The executive council may make financial grants to meet disaster-related case management needs of disaster-affected individuals. The aggregate total of grants awarded shall not be more than one million dollars during a fiscal year. However, within the same fiscal year, additional funds may be specifically authorized by the executive council to meet additional needs. Of the one million dollar aggregate total, fifty thousand dollars may be expended for contract entity staff support, and fifty thousand dollars may be expended for case management training and continuing training.
   c.  The department of human services shall work with the department of homeland security and emergency management and, as selected by the department of human services, a representative of nonprofit, voluntary, and faith-based organizations active in disaster recovery and response to establish a statewide system of disaster case management to be activated following the governor’s proclamation of a disaster emergency or the declaration of a major disaster by the president of the United States for individual assistance purposes.
   2.  The department of human services shall administer disaster case management grants. The department of human services, in conjunction with the department of homeland security and emergency management, shall establish a disaster case management program and adopt rules pursuant to chapter 17A necessary to administer the program. The executive council shall use grant moneys to reimburse the department of human services for actual expenses associated with the administration of the grants. Under the program, the department of human services shall coordinate case management services locally through one or more contracted entities. The department of human services may implement an ongoing contract with a provider of a statewide program with local offices throughout the state to serve as the local administrative entity for the grant program to allow implementation of the program with minimal delay following a governor’s proclamation of a state of disaster emergency or a declaration of a major disaster by the president of the United States.
   3.  The department of human services, in conjunction with the department of homeland security and emergency management and a representative of the Iowa voluntary organizations active in disaster, shall adopt rules pursuant to chapter 17A to create coordination mechanisms and standards for the establishment and implementation of a statewide system of disaster case management. 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 provisions, the department shall accept the existing surety bond or financial responsibility provisions in lieu of applying a new or additional surety bond or financial responsibility requirement.
   b.  Authorization for the local administrative entity to draw down grant funding to pay valid claims on at least a weekly basis.
   c.  Disaster case management standards.
   d.  Disaster case management policies.
   e.  Reporting requirements.
   f.  Eligibility criteria.
   g.  Coordination mechanisms necessary to carry out the services provided.
   h.  Development of formal working relationships with agencies and creation of interagency agreements for those considered to provide disaster case management services.
   i.  Establishment of nonduplication of benefits policies and mechanisms for the exchange of information between agencies to ensure compliance with the federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, Pub. L. No. 104-191, 110 Stat. 1936 (1996).
   j.  Referral to all known available services for individuals from multiple agencies in coordinated service locations.
   4.  By January 1 of each year, the department of human services shall submit an annual written report to the legislative fiscal committee and the general assembly’s standing committees on government oversight concerning the activities of the grant program during the previous fiscal year.
EXPLANATION
The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with

the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly.
   This bill creates a disaster case management grant fund and program.
   The bill replaces provisions relating to disaster case management with a disaster case management fund. Moneys in the fund may be used by the executive council and may be expended following the governor’s proclamation of a state of disaster emergency or the declaration of a major disaster by the president of the United States. The bill allows the executive council to make financial grants to meet disaster-related case management needs of disaster-affected individuals. The aggregate total of grants awarded shall not be more than $1 million during a fiscal year; however, within the same fiscal year, additional funds may be specifically authorized by the executive council to meet additional needs. Of the $1 million aggregate total, $50,000 may be expended for contract entity staff support, and $50,000 may be expended for case management training and continuing training.
   The bill requires the department of human services to work with the department of homeland security and emergency management and, as selected by the department of human services, a representative of nonprofit, voluntary, and faith-based organizations active in disaster recovery and response to establish a statewide system of disaster case management to be activated following the governor’s proclamation of a disaster emergency or the declaration of a major disaster by the president of the United States for individual assistance purposes.
   The bill requires the department of human services to administer the disaster case management grants. The bill requires the department of human services, in conjunction with the department of homeland security and emergency management, to establish an Iowa disaster case management program and adopt rules pursuant to Code chapter 17A necessary to administer the program. The executive council shall use grant moneys to reimburse the department of human services for actual expenses associated with the administration of the grants. Under the program, the bill requires the department of human services to coordinate case management services locally through one or more contracted entities. The department of human services may implement an ongoing contract with a provider of a statewide program with local offices throughout the state to serve as the local administrative entity for the grant program to allow implementation of the program with minimal delay following a governor’s proclamation of a state of disaster emergency or a declaration of a major disaster by the president of the United States.
   The bill requires the department of human services, in conjunction with the department of homeland security and emergency management and a representative of the Iowa voluntary organizations active in disaster, to adopt rules pursuant to Code chapter 17A to create coordination mechanisms and standards for the establishment and implementation of a statewide system of disaster case management.
   The bill includes an annual reporting requirement.