House File 38 - Introduced HOUSE FILE 38 BY KRESSIG and BROWN-POWERS A BILL FOR An Act making an appropriation to provide assistance to 1 parents, guardians, and custodians with costs resulting from 2 the death of a child. 3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 4 TLSB 1493YH (3) 88 hb/rn

H.F. 38 Section 1. CHILD FUNERAL ASSISTANCE. There is appropriated 1 from the general fund of the state to the department of public 2 health for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2019, and ending 3 June 30, 2020, the following amount, or so much thereof as is 4 necessary, to be used for the purposes designated: 5 For a grant to assist parents in this state with costs 6 resulting from the death of a child in accordance with this 7 section: 8 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 100,000 9 1. The department shall award the amount appropriated in 10 this section in the form of a grant to a nonprofit organization 11 located in a city in this state with a population of more than 12 2,283 but less than 2,320 based on the 2010 federal decennial 13 census. The organization shall be approved to operate under 14 section 501(c)(3) of the federal Internal Revenue Code and have 15 been providing assistance since at least July 2011, to parents, 16 guardians, and custodians with funeral-related expenses 17 resulting from the unintended death of a child. 18 2. The grantee shall utilize the grant to assist parents who 19 reside in this state with costs incurred for a funeral, burial 20 or cremation, cemetery costs, or grave marker costs associated 21 with the unintended death of a child of the parent or a child 22 under the care of a guardian or custodian. The grantee shall 23 apply the following eligibility factors in awarding such 24 assistance: 25 a. The child was a stillborn infant or was less than age 26 eighteen at the time of death. 27 b. The request for assistance was approved by the local 28 board or department of health or the county general assistance 29 director and may have been referred by a local funeral home. 30 c. To be eligible, the parent, guardian, or custodian must 31 be receiving public assistance benefits through the county, 32 state, or federal government, or provide other evidence of a 33 lack of financial resources to pay more than a portion of the 34 costs. Public assistance benefits shall include but are not 35 -1- LSB 1493YH (3) 88 hb/rn 1/ 3

H.F. 38 limited to county general assistance, or benefits provided 1 through the family investment program, federal food assistance 2 program, medical assistance program, or state child care 3 assistance program, or housing assistance. 4 d. The maximum amount of grant assistance provided under 5 this section to a parent, guardian, or custodian associated 6 with the death of a child is $2,000. If the death is a multiple 7 death and the infants or children are being cremated, or buried 8 together, the same limitation applies. 9 e. To the extent the overall amount of assistance received 10 by a recipient for the costs addressed under this section does 11 not exceed the overall total of the costs, the recipient may 12 receive other public or private assistance in addition to grant 13 assistance under this section. 14 3. Notwithstanding section 8.33, moneys appropriated in 15 this section that remain unencumbered or unobligated at the 16 close of the fiscal year shall not revert but shall remain 17 available for expenditure for the purposes designated until 18 expended. 19 EXPLANATION 20 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 21 the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly. 22 This bill makes an appropriation to the department of public 23 health for a grant to provide assistance to parents, guardians, 24 and custodians with the costs resulting from the death of a 25 child. 26 The bill includes grantee qualifications; limits assistance 27 to the costs incurred for a funeral, burial or cremation, 28 cemetery costs, or grave marker costs associated with the 29 unintended death of a child of the parent or a child under 30 the care or custody of the guardian or custodian; limits 31 eligibility to parents, guardians, and custodians who receive 32 county, state, or federal public assistance or do not have 33 the financial resources to pay for more than a portion of the 34 costs; requires approval of a request for assistance by a local 35 -2- LSB 1493YH (3) 88 hb/rn 2/ 3

H.F. 38 board or department of public health or the county general 1 assistance director; limits assistance under the grant to not 2 more than $2,000; and allows a recipient to receive other 3 public or private assistance in addition to grant assistance. 4 The appropriation does not revert but remains available until 5 expended. 6 -3- LSB 1493YH (3) 88 hb/rn 3/ 3