Senate File 2184 - Introduced SENATE FILE 2184 BY QUIRMBACH , TRONE GARRIOTT , BISIGNANO , DOTZLER , GIDDENS , J. SMITH , JOCHUM , BOULTON , MATHIS , RAGAN , WAHLS , BOLKCOM , and KINNEY A BILL FOR An Act creating the community law enforcement enhancement fund 1 and providing an appropriation. 2 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 3 TLSB 5440XS (7) 89 as/rh/mb
S.F. 2184 Section 1. NEW SECTION . 80.49 Community law enforcement 1 enhancement fund. 2 1. A community law enforcement enhancement fund is 3 established in the state treasury under the control of the 4 department. The fund shall consist of moneys appropriated to 5 the fund for the purposes specified in subsection 2. 6 2. Moneys appropriated to the fund shall be used for grants 7 to municipal police departments and county sheriff departments. 8 Grants may be awarded for the following purposes: 9 a. Peace officer body cameras. For the purchase of 10 equipment, training, the establishment of information storage 11 and retrieval procedures and facilities, and other expenses 12 properly related to initiating a program for peace officers to 13 wear and operate body cameras while on duty in the community. 14 b. Community mental health support and services. 15 (1) For recruiting, training, and paying a portion of the 16 first-year salary and benefits of a community mental health 17 advocate position within a municipal police department or 18 county sheriff department. The duties of a community mental 19 health advocate shall include but are not limited to the 20 following: 21 (a) Provide access to mental health services that may be 22 necessary after a person’s contact with law enforcement. 23 (b) Act as a liaison between a local law enforcement agency 24 and mental health services providers and agencies. 25 (c) Review departmental calls for mental health services to 26 identify the mental health needs of consumers. 27 (d) Assist mental health consumers with identifying and 28 obtaining services. 29 (e) Assist mental health services providers in 30 understanding consumer needs in the community. 31 (f) Coordinate and assist with law enforcement actions 32 requiring possible mental health services. 33 (g) Assist in developing, coordinating, and implementing 34 mental health training. 35 -1- LSB 5440XS (7) 89 as/rh/mb 1/ 4
S.F. 2184 (2) For expenses properly related to initiating and 1 providing services related to the duties specified in 2 subparagraph (1) incurred through collaboration between a 3 municipal police department or county sheriff department and 4 one or more local mental health organizations or social service 5 organizations. 6 3. A municipal police department or county sheriff 7 department may make separate applications for each of the two 8 purposes specified in subsection 2. 9 4. Grant awards may be made for up to fifty thousand dollars 10 per grant awarded. 11 5. The department shall allocate at least thirty percent 12 of available funds for grants for each of the two purposes 13 specified in subsection 2, provided that adequate qualified 14 applications are received in each category. The department 15 shall distribute funds as equitably as possible to achieve a 16 balanced distribution of funds geographically within the state 17 and among large and small communities. 18 6. Notwithstanding section 8.33, any balance in the fund on 19 June 30 of any fiscal year shall not revert to the general fund 20 of the state but shall remain available for expenditure for the 21 purposes designated for subsequent fiscal years. 22 7. The department shall adopt rules pursuant to chapter 17A 23 necessary for the administration of this section. 24 8. This section is repealed January 1, 2029. 25 Sec. 2. COMMUNITY LAW ENFORCEMENT ENHANCEMENT FUND —— 26 APPROPRIATION. There is appropriated from the general fund of 27 the state to the department of public safety for deposit into 28 the community law enforcement enhancement fund established in 29 section 80.49 for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2022, and 30 ending June 30, 2023, the following amount, or so much thereof 31 as is necessary, to be used for the purposes of the fund: 32 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 5,000,000 33 EXPLANATION 34 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 35 -2- LSB 5440XS (7) 89 as/rh/mb 2/ 4
S.F. 2184 the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly. 1 This bill creates the community law enforcement enhancement 2 fund (fund) established in the state treasury under the 3 control of the department of public safety and provides an 4 appropriation. 5 The bill provides that moneys appropriated to the fund 6 shall be used for grants to municipal police departments and 7 county sheriff departments for the following purposes: for 8 the purchase of equipment, training, the establishment of 9 information storage and retrieval procedures and facilities, 10 and other expenses properly related to initiating a program for 11 peace officers to wear and operate body cameras while on duty 12 in the community; and for recruiting, training, and paying a 13 portion of the first-year salary and benefits of a community 14 mental health advocate position within a municipal police 15 department or a county sheriff department. The bill specifies 16 the duties of a community mental health advocate which include 17 but are not limited to the following: providing access to 18 mental health services that may be necessary after a person’s 19 contact with law enforcement; acting as a liaison between 20 a local law enforcement agency and mental health services 21 providers and agencies; reviewing departmental calls for 22 mental health services to identify the mental health needs of 23 consumers; assisting mental health consumers with identifying 24 and obtaining services; assisting mental health services 25 providers in understanding consumer needs in the community; 26 coordinating and assisting with law enforcement actions 27 requiring possible mental health services; and assisting in 28 developing, coordinating, and implementing mental health 29 training. 30 The bill provides that a grant may be awarded for expenses 31 properly related to initiating and providing services 32 related to the duties specified in the bill incurred through 33 collaboration between a municipal police department or 34 county sheriff department and one or more local mental health 35 -3- LSB 5440XS (7) 89 as/rh/mb 3/ 4
S.F. 2184 organizations or social service organizations. 1 The bill provides that grant awards may be made for up to 2 $50,000 per grant awarded, and a municipal police department or 3 county sheriff department may make separate applications for 4 each of the two purposes of the fund. The department of public 5 safety shall allocate at least 30 percent of available funds 6 to grants for each of the two purposes of the fund, and shall 7 distribute funds as equitably as possible to achieve a balanced 8 distribution of funds geographically within the state and among 9 large and small communities. Any balance in the fund on June 10 30 of any fiscal year shall not revert to the general fund of 11 the state. 12 The department is directed to adopt rules pursuant to Code 13 chapter 17A necessary for the administration of the bill. 14 The bill is repealed on January 1, 2029. 15 The bill makes an appropriation of $5 million from the 16 general fund of the state to the department of public safety 17 for deposit into the fund established in the bill for the 18 fiscal year beginning July 1, 2022, and ending June 30, 2023. 19 -4- LSB 5440XS (7) 89 as/rh/mb 4/ 4