Bill Summary – FastDemocracy

Senate File 446 - Introduced
                                  SENATE FILE 446
                                  BY QUIRMBACH, LYKAM, RAGAN,
                                      WAHLS, GIDDENS, J. SMITH,
                                      MATHIS, PETERSEN, BOLKCOM,
                                      T. TAYLOR, DOTZLER, and
                                      KINNEY
                            A BILL FOR
An Act creating the community law enforcement enhancement fund
  and providing an appropriation.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
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                                S.F. 446
    Section 1. NEW SECTION. 80.48 Community law enforcement
 enhancement fund.
    1. A community law enforcement enhancement fund is
 established in the state treasury under the control of the
 department. The fund shall consist of moneys appropriated to
 the fund for the purposes specified in subsection 2.
    2. Moneys appropriated to the fund shall be used for grants
 to municipal police departments and county sheriff departments.
 Grants may be awarded for the following purposes:
    a. Peace officer body cameras. For the purchase of
 equipment, training, the establishment of information storage
 and retrieval procedures and facilities, and other expenses
 properly related to initiating a program for peace officers to
 wear and operate body cameras while on duty in the community.
    b. Community mental health advocate. For recruiting,
 training, and paying a portion of the first-year salary and
 benefits of a community mental health advocate position within
 a municipal police department or county sheriff department.
 The duties of a community mental health advocate shall include
 but are not limited to the following:
    (1) Provide access to mental health services that may be
 necessary after a person’s contact with law enforcement.
    (2) Act as a liaison between a local law enforcement agency
 and mental health services providers and agencies.
    (3) Review departmental calls for mental health services to
 identify the mental health needs of consumers.
    (4) Assist mental health consumers with identifying and
 obtaining services.
    (5) Assist mental health services providers in
 understanding consumer needs in the community.
    (6) Coordinate and assist with law enforcement actions
 requiring possible mental health services.
    (7) Assist in developing, coordinating, and implementing
 mental health training.
    3. A municipal police department or county sheriff
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                                         S.F. 446
 department may make separate applications for each of the
 purposes specified in subsection 2.
    4. Grant awards may be made for up to fifty thousand dollars
 per grant awarded.
    5. The department shall allocate at least thirty percent
 of available funds for grants for each of the purposes
 specified in subsection 2, provided that adequate qualified
 applications are received in each category. The department
 shall distribute funds as equitably as possible to achieve a
 balanced distribution of funds geographically within the state
 and among large and small communities.
    6. Notwithstanding section 8.33, any balance in the fund on
 June 30 of any fiscal year shall not revert to the general fund
 of the state but shall remain available for expenditure for the
 purposes designated for subsequent fiscal years.
    7. The department shall adopt rules pursuant to chapter 17A
 necessary for the administration of this section.
    8. This section is repealed January 1, 2028.
    Sec. 2. COMMUNITY LAW ENFORCEMENT ENHANCEMENT FUND ——
 APPROPRIATION. There is appropriated from the general fund of
 the state to the department of public safety for deposit into
 the community law enforcement enhancement fund established in
 section 80.48 for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2021, and
 ending June 30, 2022, the following amount, or so much thereof
 as is necessary, to be used for the purposes of the fund:
 .................................................. $ 5,000,000
                           EXPLANATION
         The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with
          the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly.
    This bill creates the community law enforcement enhancement
 fund (fund) established in the state treasury under the
 control of the department of public safety and provides an
 appropriation.
    The bill provides that moneys appropriated to the fund
 shall be used for grants to municipal police departments and
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                                S.F. 446
 county sheriff departments for the following purposes: for
 the purchase of equipment, training, the establishment of
 information storage and retrieval procedures and facilities,
 and other expenses properly related to initiating a program for
 peace officers to wear and operate body cameras while on duty
 in the community; and for recruiting, training, and paying a
 portion of the first-year salary and benefits of a community
 mental health advocate position within a municipal police
 department or a county sheriff department. The bill specifies
 the duties of a community mental health advocate which include
 but are not limited to the following: providing access to
 mental health services that may be necessary after a person’s
 contact with law enforcement; acting as a liaison between
 a local law enforcement agency and mental health services
 providers and agencies; reviewing departmental calls for
 mental health services to identify the mental health needs of
 consumers; assisting mental health consumers with identifying
 and obtaining services; assisting mental health services
 providers in understanding consumer needs in the community;
 coordinating and assisting with law enforcement actions
 requiring possible mental health services; and assisting in
 developing, coordinating, and implementing mental health
 training.
    The bill provides that grant awards may be made for up to
 $50,000 per grant awarded, and a municipal police department or
 county sheriff department may make separate applications for
 each of the purposes of the fund. The department of public
 safety shall allocate at least 30 percent of available funds
 to grants for each of the purposes of the fund, and shall
 distribute funds as equitably as possible to achieve a balanced
 distribution of funds geographically within the state and among
 large and small communities. Any balance in the fund on June
 30 of any fiscal year shall not revert to the general fund of
 the state.
    The department is directed to adopt rules pursuant to Code
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                               S.F. 446
 chapter 17A necessary for the administration of the bill.
    The bill is repealed on January 1, 2028.
    The bill makes an appropriation of $5 million from the
 general fund of the state to the department of public safety
 for deposit into the fund established in the bill for the
 fiscal year beginning July 1, 2021, and ending June 30, 2022.
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Statutes affected: 
Introduced: 8.33, 80.48