House Study Bill 230 - IntroducedA Bill ForAn Act 1relating to the denial of state funds to a local entity.
2BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
1   Section 1.  NEW SECTION.  8.31A  Denial of state funds.
   21.  Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the
3contrary, a local entity, including any entity under the
4jurisdiction of the local entity, shall be ineligible to
5receive any state funds if the local entity reduces the budget
6of a law enforcement agency under the jurisdiction of the local
7entity unless the total budget of the local entity is reduced
8by an equal or larger percentage or the local entity provides
9sufficient justification under subsection 4.
   102.  State funds shall be denied to a local entity pursuant to
11subsection 1 by all state agencies for each state fiscal year
12that begins after the fiscal year in which the law enforcement
13agency’s budget is reduced. State funds shall continue to be
14denied until eligibility to receive state funds is reinstated
15under section 8.31. However, any state funds for law
16enforcement purposes shall not be denied under this section.
   173.  A local entity's eligibility to receive state funds shall
18be reinstated beginning on the first day of the month following
19the date on which the local entity’s budget is no longer in
20violation of this section.
   214.  a.  A local entity may submit written justification to
22the department of management for any reductions in the local
23entity’s law enforcement budget. Sufficient justification may
24include any of the following:
   25(1)  Reductions related to one-time capital or one-time
26equipment or vehicle purchases in the prior fiscal year.
   27(2)  Reductions related to lower personnel cost of law
28enforcement personnel due only to lower cost entry-level
29law enforcement personnel replacing prior law enforcement
30personnel.
   31(3)  Reductions due to the merging or consolidation of jail
32services or communications and dispatch services or the merging
33of law enforcement agencies.
   34(4)  Reductions due to reduced population in a jurisdiction
35served by a law enforcement agency.
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   1b.  Notwithstanding any other provision of the Code, detailed
2information shall be required by any local entity, as described
3in rules, for any necessary budgetary information.
   45.  The department of management shall adopt rules pursuant
5to chapter 17A to implement this section uniformly across
6state agencies from which state funds are distributed to local
7entities.
   86.  For purposes of this section, “local entity” means the
9governing body of a city or county. “Local entity” includes
10an officer or employee of a local entity or a division,
11department, or other body that is part of a local entity,
12including but not limited to a sheriff, police department, city
13attorney, or county attorney.
14EXPLANATION
15The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with
16the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly.
   17This bill relates to the denial of state funds to a local
18entity.
   19The bill provides that a local entity, including any entity
20under the jurisdiction of the local entity, shall be ineligible
21to receive any state funds if the local entity reduces the
22budget of their law enforcement agency unless the total budget
23of the local entity is reduced by an equal or larger percentage
24or the local entity provides sufficient justification for the
25reduction. A local entity may submit written justification to
26the department of management for any reductions in the local
27entity’s law enforcement budget. Sufficient justification may
28include: reductions related to one-time capital or one-time
29equipment or vehicle purchases in the prior fiscal year;
30reductions related to lower personnel cost of law enforcement
31personnel due only to lower cost entry-level law enforcement
32personnel replacing prior law enforcement personnel; reductions
33due to the merging or consolidation of jail services or
34communications and dispatch services or the merging of law
35enforcement agencies; and reductions due to reduced population
-2-1in a jurisdiction served by a law enforcement agency. State
2funds shall be denied to a local entity by all state agencies
3for each state fiscal year that begins after the fiscal year in
4which the law enforcement agency’s budget is reduced. State
5funds shall continue to be denied until eligibility to receive
6state funds is reinstated under Code section 8.31. State
7funds for law enforcement purposes shall not be denied. The
8department of management is directed to adopt rules pursuant to
9Code chapter 17A to implement the provisions of the bill.
   10Code section 8.2 defines “state funds” as any and all moneys
11appropriated by the legislature, or money collected by or for
12the state, or an agency thereof, pursuant to authority granted
13by any of its laws.
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