Senate File 2193 - Introduced
SENATE FILE 2193
BY COMMITTEE ON STATE
GOVERNMENT
(SUCCESSOR TO SSB 3061)
A BILL FOR
1 An Act relating to disaster aid including the disaster aid
2 individual assistance grant fund and program and the
3 disaster case advocacy grant fund and program.
4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
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1 Section 1. Section 29C.2, Code 2024, is amended by adding
2 the following new subsection:
3 NEW SUBSECTION. 5A. “Local administrative entity” means
4 a countywide provider, or a provider of a statewide program
5 with local offices throughout the state, contracted for the
6 administration of the disaster aid individual assistance grant
7 program and the disaster case advocacy program.
8 Sec. 2. Section 29C.20A, subsection 2, unnumbered paragraph
9 1, Code 2024, is amended to read as follows:
10 The grant funds shall be administered by the department.
11 The department shall adopt rules to create the Iowa disaster
12 aid individual assistance grant program. The rules shall
13 specify the eligibility of applicants and eligible items for
14 grant funding. The executive council shall use grant funds to
15 reimburse the department for its actual expenses associated
16 with the administration of the grants. The department may
17 implement an ongoing contract with a provider or providers of a
18 statewide program with local offices throughout the state to
19 serve as the local administrative entity for the grant program
20 so that the program can be implemented with minimal delay when
21 a disaster occurs in a local area. The rules adopted by the
22 department for the program shall include but are not limited
23 to all of the following:
24 Sec. 3. Section 29C.20A, subsection 3, Code 2024, is amended
25 to read as follows:
26 3. To be eligible for a grant, an applicant shall have
27 an annual household income that is less than two hundred
28 percent of the federal poverty level based on the number of
29 people in the applicant’s household as defined by the most
30 recently revised poverty income guidelines published by the
31 United States department of health and human services. The
32 amount of a grant for a household shall not exceed five seven
33 thousand dollars. Expenses eligible for grant funding shall be
34 limited to personal property, home repair, food assistance, and
35 temporary housing assistance. An applicant for a grant shall
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1 sign an affidavit committing to refund any part of the grant
2 that is duplicated by any other assistance, such as but not
3 limited to insurance or assistance from community development
4 groups, charities, the small business administration, and the
5 federal emergency management agency.
6 Sec. 4. Section 29C.20B, subsection 1, paragraph b, Code
7 2024, is amended to read as follows:
8 b. The executive council may make financial grants to meet
9 disaster-related case advocacy needs of disaster-affected
10 individuals. The aggregate total of grants awarded shall
11 not be more than one million dollars during a fiscal year.
12 However, within the same fiscal year, additional funds
13 may be specifically authorized by the executive council to
14 meet additional needs. Upon request of the department, the
15 executive council may make available up to one hundred thousand
16 dollars, or so much as is necessary, for contract entity staff
17 support and case management advocacy training.
18 Sec. 5. Section 29C.20B, subsection 2, Code 2024, is amended
19 to read as follows:
20 2. The department shall administer disaster case advocacy
21 grants. The department shall establish a disaster case
22 advocacy program and adopt rules pursuant to chapter 17A
23 necessary to administer the program. The executive council
24 shall use grant moneys to reimburse the department for actual
25 expenses associated with the administration of the grants.
26 Under the program, the department shall coordinate case
27 advocacy services locally through one or more contracted
28 entities. The department may implement an ongoing contract
29 with a provider of a statewide program with local offices
30 throughout the state to serve as the local administrative
31 entity for the grant program to allow implementation of the
32 program with minimal delay following a governor’s proclamation
33 of a state of disaster emergency or a declaration of a major
34 disaster by the president of the United States.
35 EXPLANATION
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1 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with
2 the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly.
3 This bill relates to the disaster aid individual assistance
4 grant fund and program and the disaster case advocacy grant
5 fund and program.
6 A disaster aid individual assistance grant fund exists
7 in the state treasury to meet disaster-related expenses or
8 serious needs of individuals or families adversely affected
9 by a disaster. Current law provides that the department of
10 homeland security and emergency management (department) shall
11 administer the grant funds and shall adopt rules to create the
12 Iowa disaster aid individual assistance grant program.
13 The bill authorizes the department to implement an ongoing
14 contract with a local administrative entity for the grant
15 program so that the program can be implemented with minimal
16 delay when a disaster occurs in a local area.
17 Current law limits the grant amount for a household to
18 $5,000. The bill increases the grant limit per household to
19 $7,000.
20 A disaster case advocacy grant fund exists in the state to
21 meet disaster-related case advocacy needs of disaster-affected
22 individuals. Current law requires the department to administer
23 disaster case advocacy grants and establish a disaster case
24 advocacy program. Under the program, the department shall
25 coordinate case advocacy services locally through one or more
26 contracted entities.
27 The bill authorizes the department to implement an ongoing
28 contract with a local administrative entity for the grant
29 program to allow implementation of the program with minimal
30 delay following a governor’s proclamation of a state of
31 disaster emergency or a declaration of a major disaster by the
32 president of the United States.
33 The bill defines “local administrative entity” as a
34 countywide provider, or a provider of a statewide program
35 with local offices throughout the state, contracted for the
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1 administration of the disaster aid individual assistance grant
2 program and the disaster case advocacy program.
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Statutes affected:
Introduced: 29C.2, 29C.20A, 29C.20B