Senate File 377 - IntroducedA Bill ForAn Act 1creating the community law enforcement enhancement fund
2and providing an appropriation.
3BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
1   Section 1.  NEW SECTION.  80.49  Community law enforcement
2enhancement fund.
   31.  A community law enforcement enhancement fund is
4established in the state treasury under the control of the
5department. The fund shall consist of moneys appropriated to
6the fund for the purposes specified in subsection 2.
   72.  Moneys appropriated to the fund shall be used for grants
8to municipal police departments and county sheriff departments.
9Grants may be awarded for the following purposes:
   10a.  Peace officer body cameras.  For the purchase of
11equipment, training, the establishment of information storage
12and retrieval procedures and facilities, and other expenses
13properly related to initiating a program for peace officers to
14wear and operate body cameras while on duty in the community.
   15b.  Community mental health support and services.
   16(1)  For recruiting, training, and paying a portion of the
17first-year salary and benefits of a community mental health
18advocate position within a municipal police department or
19county sheriff department. The duties of a community mental
20health advocate shall include but are not limited to the
21following:
   22(a)  Provide access to mental health services that may be
23necessary after a person’s contact with law enforcement.
   24(b)  Act as a liaison between a local law enforcement agency
25and mental health services providers and agencies.
   26(c)  Review departmental calls for mental health services to
27identify the mental health needs of consumers.
   28(d)  Assist mental health consumers with identifying and
29obtaining services.
   30(e)  Assist mental health services providers in
31understanding consumer needs in the community.
   32(f)  Coordinate and assist with law enforcement actions
33requiring possible mental health services.
   34(g)  Assist in developing, coordinating, and implementing
35mental health training.
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   1(2)  For expenses properly related to initiating and
2providing services related to the duties specified in
3subparagraph (1) incurred through collaboration between a
4municipal police department or county sheriff department and
5one or more local mental health organizations or social service
6organizations.
   73.  A municipal police department or county sheriff
8department may make separate applications for each of the two
9purposes specified in subsection 2.
   104.  Grant awards may be made for up to fifty thousand dollars
11per grant awarded.
   125.  The department shall allocate at least thirty percent
13of available funds for grants for each of the two purposes
14specified in subsection 2, provided that adequate qualified
15applications are received in each category. The department
16shall distribute funds as equitably as possible to achieve a
17balanced distribution of funds geographically within the state
18and among large and small communities.
   196.  Notwithstanding section 8.33, any balance in the fund on
20June 30 of any fiscal year shall not revert to the general fund
21of the state but shall remain available for expenditure for the
22purposes designated for subsequent fiscal years.
   237.  The department shall adopt rules pursuant to chapter 17A
24necessary for the administration of this section.
   258.  This section is repealed January 1, 2030.
26   Sec. 2.  COMMUNITY LAW ENFORCEMENT ENHANCEMENT FUND —
27APPROPRIATION.
  There is appropriated from the general fund of
28the state to the department of public safety for deposit into
29the community law enforcement enhancement fund established in
30section 80.49 for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2023, and
31ending June 30, 2024, the following amount, or so much thereof
32as is necessary, to be used for the purposes of the fund:
..................................................  $335,000,000
34EXPLANATION
35The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with
-2-1the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly.
   2This bill creates the community law enforcement enhancement
3fund (fund) established in the state treasury under the
4control of the department of public safety and provides an
5appropriation.
   6The bill provides that moneys appropriated to the fund
7shall be used for grants to municipal police departments and
8county sheriff departments for the following purposes: for
9the purchase of equipment, training, the establishment of
10information storage and retrieval procedures and facilities,
11and other expenses properly related to initiating a program for
12peace officers to wear and operate body cameras while on duty
13in the community; and for recruiting, training, and paying a
14portion of the first-year salary and benefits of a community
15mental health advocate position within a municipal police
16department or a county sheriff department. The bill specifies
17the duties of a community mental health advocate which include
18but are not limited to the following: providing access to
19mental health services that may be necessary after a person’s
20contact with law enforcement; acting as a liaison between
21a local law enforcement agency and mental health services
22providers and agencies; reviewing departmental calls for
23mental health services to identify the mental health needs of
24consumers; assisting mental health consumers with identifying
25and obtaining services; assisting mental health services
26providers in understanding consumer needs in the community;
27coordinating and assisting with law enforcement actions
28requiring possible mental health services; and assisting in
29developing, coordinating, and implementing mental health
30training.
   31The bill provides that a grant may be awarded for expenses
32properly related to initiating and providing services
33related to the duties specified in the bill incurred through
34collaboration between a municipal police department or
35county sheriff department and one or more local mental health
-3-1organizations or social service organizations.
   2The bill provides that grant awards may be made for up to
3$50,000 per grant awarded, and a municipal police department or
4county sheriff department may make separate applications for
5each of the two purposes of the fund. The department of public
6safety shall allocate at least 30 percent of available funds
7to grants for each of the two purposes of the fund, and shall
8distribute funds as equitably as possible to achieve a balanced
9distribution of funds geographically within the state and among
10large and small communities. Any balance in the fund on June
1130 of any fiscal year shall not revert to the general fund of
12the state.
   13The department is directed to adopt rules pursuant to Code
14chapter 17A necessary for the administration of the bill.
   15The bill is repealed on January 1, 2030.
   16The bill makes an appropriation of $5 million from the
17general fund of the state to the department of public safety
18for deposit into the fund established in the bill for the
19fiscal year beginning July 1, 2023, and ending June 30, 2024.
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