Bill Summary – FastDemocracy

Senate File 479 - Introduced
                                  SENATE FILE 479
                                  BY COMMITTEE ON STATE
                                      GOVERNMENT
                                  (SUCCESSOR TO SSB 1203)
                             A BILL FOR
An Act relating to the denial of state funds to a local entity.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
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                                S.F. 479
    Section 1. NEW SECTION. 8.31A Denial of state funds.
    1. Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the
 contrary, a local entity, including any entity under the
 jurisdiction of the local entity, shall be ineligible to
 receive any state funds if the local entity reduces the budget
 of a law enforcement agency under the jurisdiction of the local
 entity unless the total budget of the local entity is reduced
 by an equal or larger percentage or the local entity provides
 sufficient justification under subsection 4.
    2. State funds shall be denied to a local entity pursuant to
 subsection 1 by all state agencies for each state fiscal year
 that begins after the fiscal year in which the law enforcement
 agency’s budget is reduced. State funds shall continue to be
 denied until eligibility to receive state funds is reinstated
 under section 8.31. However, any state funds for law
 enforcement purposes shall not be denied under this section.
    3. A local entity's eligibility to receive state funds shall
 be reinstated beginning on the first day of the month following
 the date on which the local entity’s budget is no longer in
 violation of this section.
    4. a. A local entity may submit written justification to
 the department of management for any reductions in the local
 entity’s law enforcement budget. Sufficient justification may
 include any of the following:
    (1) Reductions related to one-time capital or one-time
 equipment or vehicle purchases in the prior fiscal year.
    (2) Reductions related to lower personnel cost of law
 enforcement personnel due only to lower cost entry-level
 law enforcement personnel replacing prior law enforcement
 personnel.
    (3) Reductions due to the merging or consolidation of jail
 services or communications and dispatch services or the merging
 of law enforcement agencies.
    (4) Reductions due to reduced population in a jurisdiction
 served by a law enforcement agency.
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                                         S.F. 479
    b. Notwithstanding any other provision of the Code, detailed
 information shall be required by any local entity, as described
 in rules, for any necessary budgetary information.
    5. The department of management shall adopt rules pursuant
 to chapter 17A to implement this section uniformly across
 state agencies from which state funds are distributed to local
 entities.
    6. For purposes of this section, “local entity” means the
 governing body of a city or county. “Local entity” includes
 an officer or employee of a local entity or a division,
 department, or other body that is part of a local entity,
 including but not limited to a sheriff, police department, city
 attorney, or county attorney.
                           EXPLANATION
         The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with
          the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly.
    This bill relates to the denial of state funds to a local
 entity.
    The bill provides that a local entity, including any entity
 under the jurisdiction of the local entity, shall be ineligible
 to receive any state funds if the local entity reduces the
 budget of their law enforcement agency unless the total budget
 of the local entity is reduced by an equal or larger percentage
 or the local entity provides sufficient justification for the
 reduction. A local entity may submit written justification to
 the department of management for any reductions in the local
 entity’s law enforcement budget. Sufficient justification may
 include: reductions related to one-time capital or one-time
 equipment or vehicle purchases in the prior fiscal year;
 reductions related to lower personnel cost of law enforcement
 personnel due only to lower cost entry-level law enforcement
 personnel replacing prior law enforcement personnel; reductions
 due to the merging or consolidation of jail services or
 communications and dispatch services or the merging of law
 enforcement agencies; and reductions due to reduced population
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                                S.F. 479
 in a jurisdiction served by a law enforcement agency. State
 funds shall be denied to a local entity by all state agencies
 for each state fiscal year that begins after the fiscal year in
 which the law enforcement agency’s budget is reduced. State
 funds shall continue to be denied until eligibility to receive
 state funds is reinstated under Code section 8.31. State
 funds for law enforcement purposes shall not be denied. The
 department of management is directed to adopt rules pursuant to
 Code chapter 17A to implement the provisions of the bill.
    Code section 8.2 defines “state funds” as any and all moneys
 appropriated by the legislature, or money collected by or for
 the state, or an agency thereof, pursuant to authority granted
 by any of its laws.
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