SF 2019 (LSB 5110XS (4) 90)

SENATE FILE 2019

BY  COURNOYER

A BILL FOR

An Act establishing the national FFA organization advisors competitive grant program within the department of education and making appropriations.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:

    Section 1.  NEW SECTION.  256.20  National FFA organization advisors —— competitive grant program —— fund —— appropriation.
   1.  The department shall establish a national FFA organization advisors competitive grant program to provide grants to school districts to help school districts offset the cost associated with employing teachers licensed under subchapter VII, part 3, who are involved in the national FFA organization and who work extended contract hours as a result of the teacher’s involvement in the national FFA organization.
   2.  The department shall adopt rules pursuant to chapter 17A to administer this section, including rules relating to grant application materials, eligibility requirements, and award criteria.
   3.  Moneys awarded under this section shall be used to supplement, not supplant, existing public funding used by a school district for similar purposes.
   4.  A national FFA organization advisors competitive grant program fund is established in the state treasury. The fund shall be administered by the department and shall consist of moneys appropriated by the general assembly and any other moneys received by the department for deposit in the fund. The moneys in the fund are appropriated to the department for the national FFA organization advisors competitive grant program. Notwithstanding section 8.33, moneys in the fund that remain unencumbered or unobligated at the close of a fiscal year shall not revert but shall remain available for expenditure for the purposes designated for subsequent fiscal years. Notwithstanding section 12C.7, subsection 2, interest or earnings on moneys in the fund shall be credited to the fund.
   5.  For the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2024, and for each fiscal year thereafter, there is transferred from the general fund of the state to the national FFA organization advisors competitive grant program fund the sum of five hundred thousand dollars.
EXPLANATION
The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with
the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly.
   This bill establishes the national FFA organization advisors competitive grant program within the department of education (DE) to provide grants under the program to school districts to help offset the cost associated with employing teachers who are involved in the national FFA organization. The bill requires DE to adopt rules to administer the program. The bill provides that moneys awarded under the program shall be used to supplement, not supplant, existing public funding used by a school district for similar purposes.
   The bill establishes a national FFA organization advisors competitive grant program fund and transfers $500,000 from the general fund of the state to this new fund each fiscal year beginning in FY 2024-2025.