Senate File 110 - Introduced SENATE FILE 110 BY MATHIS A BILL FOR An Act establishing an Iowa employment rides initiative and 1 related fund in the economic development authority. 2 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 3 TLSB 1653XS (4) 86 je/sc

S.F. 110 Section 1. NEW SECTION . 15.431 Iowa employment rides 1 initiative —— grant program —— fund. 2 1. As used in this section, unless the context otherwise 3 requires: 4 a. “Employment transportation” means an urban or 5 rural program or service that provides an individual with 6 transportation solely to or from a workplace, including but not 7 limited to the following programs and services: 8 (1) Expanding or sustaining existing transportation 9 services or service hours. 10 (2) Coordinating ride share services, including car pool or 11 van pool services. 12 (3) Shuttle services. 13 b. “Public transit system” means the same as defined in 14 section 324A.1. 15 2. The Iowa employment rides initiative is established in 16 the authority to provide funds to public transit systems for 17 programs and services that provide employment transportation 18 to Iowans. 19 3. The authority shall award funds from the initiative 20 on a competitive grant basis. A grant shall not exceed one 21 hundred fifty thousand dollars. A grant application shall 22 contain a commitment from the public transit system of at least 23 a dollar-for-dollar match of the grant funds awarded. Moneys 24 charged to individuals receiving employment transportation 25 services cannot be used as matching funds. Grant funds shall 26 be used only for operational costs directly associated with 27 providing employment transportation and shall not be used for 28 capital expenditures or construction. 29 4. A public transit system may coordinate with other local, 30 state, or federal governmental agencies and private nonprofit 31 organizations in the administration of a program or service 32 receiving a grant under the initiative and in expenditure of 33 grant funds. 34 5. The authority shall include in the authority’s annual 35 -1- LSB 1653XS (4) 86 je/sc 1/ 4

S.F. 110 report pursuant to section 15.107B information on the outcomes 1 of the initiative, including the grant amount, the type 2 of program or service receiving funds, and the number of 3 individuals served for each grant awarded by the initiative. 4 As a condition of having received a grant from the initiative, 5 a public transit system shall provide the authority with 6 information on any program or service for which the public 7 transit system is awarded a grant from the initiative. 8 6. The authority shall adopt rules pursuant to chapter 17A 9 to administer the initiative, including but not limited to an 10 application process and grant award criteria. 11 7. a. An Iowa employment rides fund is created in the state 12 treasury under the control of the authority. The fund shall 13 consist of moneys appropriated to the authority and any other 14 moneys available to, obtained, or accepted by the authority for 15 placement in the fund. 16 b. Moneys in the fund shall be used to provide grants 17 under the Iowa employment rides initiative established in this 18 section. 19 c. Moneys in the fund are not subject to section 8.33. 20 Notwithstanding section 12C.7, subsection 2, interest or 21 earnings on moneys in the fund shall be credited to the fund. 22 EXPLANATION 23 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 24 the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly. 25 This bill establishes an Iowa employment rides initiative 26 in the economic development authority to provide funds to 27 public transit systems for programs and services that provide 28 employment transportation to Iowans. 29 The bill defines “employment transportation” as an urban 30 or rural program or service that provides an individual with 31 transportation solely to or from a workplace, including but 32 not limited to expanding or sustaining existing transportation 33 services or service hours; coordinating ride share services, 34 including car pool or van pool services; and shuttle services. 35 -2- LSB 1653XS (4) 86 je/sc 2/ 4

S.F. 110 A “public transit system” is defined under Code section 1 324A.1 as an urban or regional transit system providing 2 transit services accessible to the general public and receiving 3 federal, state, or local tax support. 4 The authority shall award funds from the initiative on a 5 competitive grant basis. A grant cannot exceed $150,000. A 6 grant application must contain a commitment from the public 7 transit system of at least a dollar-for-dollar match of the 8 grant funds awarded. Moneys charged to individuals receiving 9 employment transportation services cannot be used as matching 10 funds. Grant funds can only be used for operational costs 11 directly associated with providing employment transportation 12 and cannot be used for capital expenditures or construction. 13 The bill permits a public transit system to coordinate 14 with other local, state, or federal governmental agencies and 15 private nonprofit organizations in the administration of a 16 program or service receiving a grant under the initiative and 17 in expenditure of grant funds awarded. 18 As a condition of receiving a grant from the initiative, 19 a public transit system must provide the authority with 20 information on any program or service for which the public 21 transit system is awarded a grant. The bill requires the 22 authority to include information in the authority’s annual 23 report to the general assembly on the outcomes of the 24 initiative, including the grant amount, the type of program or 25 service receiving funds, and the number of individuals served 26 for each grant awarded by the initiative. 27 The bill requires the department to adopt administrative 28 rules to administer the initiative, including but not limited 29 to an application process and grant award criteria. 30 The bill creates an employment rides fund in the state 31 treasury under the control of the authority. The fund shall 32 consist of moneys appropriated to the authority and any other 33 moneys available to, obtained, or accepted by the authority for 34 placement in the fund. The moneys in the fund shall be used 35 -3- LSB 1653XS (4) 86 je/sc 3/ 4

S.F. 110 to provide grants under the Iowa employment rides initiative 1 established in the bill. 2 -4- LSB 1653XS (4) 86 je/sc 4/ 4