Senate File 2153 - Introduced SENATE FILE 2153 BY PETERSEN (COMPANION TO LSB 5765HH BY NUNN) A BILL FOR An Act establishing an AmeriCorps program for the economic 1 well-being and health of refugees and making an 2 appropriation. 3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 4 TLSB 5765SS (3) 86 rh/rj

S.F. 2153 Section 1. Section 15H.5, subsection 5, paragraph a, Code 1 2016, is amended to read as follows: 2 a. Funding for the Iowa summer youth corps program, the Iowa 3 green corps program established pursuant to section 15H.6 , and 4 the Iowa reading corps program established pursuant to section 5 15H.7 , and the RefugeeRISE AmeriCorps program established 6 pursuant to section 15H.8, shall be obtained from private 7 sector, and local, state, and federal government sources, or 8 from other available funds credited to the community programs 9 account, which shall be created within the economic development 10 authority under the authority of the commission. Moneys 11 available in the account for a fiscal year are appropriated to 12 the commission to be used for the programs. The commission 13 may establish an escrow account within the authority and 14 obligate moneys within that escrow account for tuition or 15 program payments to be made beyond the term of any fiscal year. 16 Notwithstanding section 12C.7, subsection 2 , interest earned 17 on moneys in the community programs account shall be credited 18 to the account. Notwithstanding section 8.33 , moneys in the 19 community programs account or escrow account shall not revert 20 to the general fund but shall remain available for expenditure 21 in future fiscal years. 22 Sec. 2. NEW SECTION . 15H.8 RefugeeRISE AmeriCorps program. 23 1. a. The Iowa commission on volunteer service, in 24 collaboration with the department of human services, shall 25 establish a Refugee Rebuild, Integrate, Serve, Empower 26 (RefugeeRISE) AmeriCorps program to increase community 27 integration and engagement for diverse refugee communities in 28 rural and urban areas across the state. 29 b. The commission, in collaboration with the department 30 of human services, may adopt rules pursuant to chapter 17A to 31 implement and administer this section. 32 2. The commission may use moneys in and lawfully available 33 to the community programs account created in section 15H.5 to 34 fund the program. 35 -1- LSB 5765SS (3) 86 rh/rj 1/ 3

S.F. 2153 3. The commission shall submit an annual report to the 1 general assembly and the department of human services relating 2 to the efficacy of the program. 3 Sec. 3. APPROPRIATION —— RefugeeRISE AmeriCorps. There 4 is appropriated from the general fund of the state to the 5 department of human services for the fiscal year beginning July 6 1, 2016, and ending June 30, 2017, the following amount, or so 7 much thereof as is necessary, for the purposes designated: 8 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 350,000 9 Of the funds appropriated in this section, $350,000 is 10 transferred to the economic development authority for the Iowa 11 commission on volunteer services to be used for RefugeeRISE 12 AmeriCorps program member recruitment and training to 13 improve the economic well-being and health of economically 14 disadvantaged refugees in local communities across Iowa. Funds 15 appropriated in this section may be used to supplement federal 16 funds under federal regulations. 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 the RefugeeRISE AmeriCorps program and 21 makes appropriations. 22 The bill requires the Iowa commission on volunteer service 23 (commission), in collaboration with the department of 24 human services (DHS), to establish a RefugeeRISE AmeriCorps 25 program to increase community integration and engagement for 26 diverse refugee communities in rural and urban areas across 27 the state. The commission may use moneys in and lawfully 28 available to the community programs account created within 29 the economic development authority (ECA) under the authority 30 of the commission to fund the program. The commission, in 31 collaboration with DHS, may adopt rules to implement and 32 administer the program and shall submit an annual report to 33 the general assembly and DHS relating to the efficacy of the 34 program. 35 -2- LSB 5765SS (3) 86 rh/rj 2/ 3

S.F. 2153 The bill makes a general fund appropriation for fiscal year 1 2016-2017 to DHS for transfer to the ECA for the commission to 2 be used for RefugeeRISE AmeriCorps program member recruitment 3 and training to improve the economic well-being and health of 4 economically disadvantaged refugees in local communities across 5 Iowa. Funds appropriated may be used to supplement federal 6 funds under federal regulations. 7 -3- LSB 5765SS (3) 86 rh/rj 3/ 3