HF 476 (LSB 2315YH (2) 91)

HOUSE FILE 476

BY  JACOBY

A BILL FOR

An Act establishing the school resource officer grant program within the department of education, making appropriations, and including effective date provisions.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:

    Section 1.  NEW SECTION.  256.20  School resource officer grant program —— appropriation.
   1.  The department shall develop and administer a school resource officer grant program to provide grants to school districts to offset the costs associated with employing, or retaining the services of, one school resource officer, as defined in 34 U.S.C. §10389, for each high school within the school district.
   2.  The state board shall adopt rules pursuant to chapter 17A to administer this section, including rules relating to grant application materials, eligibility requirements, and award criteria. The state board is responsible for approving or rejecting applications submitted by school districts pursuant to this section.
   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 school resource officer 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 other moneys received by the department for deposit in the fund. The moneys in the fund are appropriated to the department for the school resource officer grant program. Notwithstanding section 8.33, moneys in the fund at the close of the fiscal year shall not revert to the general fund of the state but shall remain available for expenditure for the school resource officer grant program 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, 2025, and for each succeeding fiscal year, there is appropriated from the general fund of the state to the school resource officer grant program fund the amount necessary to provide grants to all school districts that submitted an application under this section that was approved by the state board.
    Sec. 2.  EMERGENCY RULES.  The state board of education may adopt emergency rules under section 17A.4, subsection 3, and section 17A.5, subsection 2, paragraph “b”, to implement the provisions of this Act and the rules shall be effective immediately upon filing unless a later date is specified in the rules. Any rules adopted in accordance with this section shall also be published as a notice of intended action as provided in section 17A.4.
    Sec. 3.  EFFECTIVE DATE.  This Act, being deemed of immediate importance, takes effect upon enactment.
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 school resource officer grant program within the department of education to provide grants to school districts to offset the costs associated with employing, or retaining the services of, one school resource officer, as defined under federal law, for each high school within the school district. The bill requires the state board of education to adopt rules to administer the grant program, including rules relating to grant application materials, eligibility requirements, and award criteria. The state board is responsible for approving or rejecting applications submitted by school districts under the grant program.
   The bill establishes a school resource officer grant program fund in the state treasury and, beginning July 1, 2025, appropriates from the general fund of the state to the school resource officer grant program fund the amount necessary to provide grants to all school districts that submitted an application under the grant program that was approved by the state board of education.
   The bill allows the state board of education to adopt emergency rules to administer the grant program.
   The bill takes effect upon enactment.