Senate File 2298 - Introduced SENATE FILE 2298 BY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS (SUCCESSOR TO SF 2153) A BILL FOR An Act establishing an AmeriCorps program for the economic 1 well-being and health of refugees, and including provisions 2 for contingent implementation. 3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 4 TLSB 5765SV (2) 86 rh/rj

S.F. 2298 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 5765SV (2) 86 rh/rj 1/ 2

S.F. 2298 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. CONTINGENT IMPLEMENTATION. The Iowa commission on 4 volunteer services shall fully implement the provisions of this 5 Act contingent upon being appropriated necessary moneys by the 6 general assembly to support the RefugeeRISE Americorps program 7 as provided in this Act. 8 EXPLANATION 9 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 10 the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly. 11 This bill establishes the RefugeeRISE AmeriCorps program and 12 makes appropriations. 13 The bill requires the Iowa commission on volunteer service 14 (commission), in collaboration with the department of 15 human services (DHS), to establish a RefugeeRISE AmeriCorps 16 program to increase community integration and engagement for 17 diverse refugee communities in rural and urban areas across 18 the state. The commission may use moneys in and lawfully 19 available to the community programs account created within 20 the economic development authority (ECA) under the authority 21 of the commission to fund the program. The commission, in 22 collaboration with DHS, may adopt rules to implement and 23 administer the program and shall submit an annual report to 24 the general assembly and DHS relating to the efficacy of the 25 program. 26 The bill provides that the commission shall fully implement 27 the provisions of the bill contingent upon being appropriated 28 necessary moneys by the general assembly. 29 -2- LSB 5765SV (2) 86 rh/rj 2/ 2