Bill Text: IA HF32 | 2023-2024 | 90th General Assembly | Introduced


Bill Title: A bill for an act relating to outdoor education and recreation programs serving youth, and making appropriations.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2023-01-12 - Introduced, referred to Natural Resources. H.J. 77. [HF32 Detail]

Download: Iowa-2023-HF32-Introduced.html
House File 32 - Introduced HOUSE FILE 32 BY ISENHART A BILL FOR An Act relating to outdoor education and recreation programs 1 serving youth, and making appropriations. 2 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 3 TLSB 1293HH (7) 90 js/rn
H.F. 32 Section 1. NEW SECTION . 456A.39 No child left inside 1 program —— fund created —— appropriation. 2 1. The director shall establish and administer a no 3 child left inside program to provide grants for outdoor 4 environmental, ecological, and other natural resource-based 5 education and recreation programs serving youth. 6 2. The director may award grants under this section to 7 accredited public school districts, accredited nonpublic 8 schools, or private nonprofit organizations. 9 3. a. In awarding grants under this section, the director 10 shall give preference to programs that satisfy the following 11 priorities: 12 (1) Provides students with opportunities to directly 13 experience and understand nature and the natural world. 14 (2) Uses a research-based, effective environmental, 15 ecological, or other natural resource-based educational 16 curriculum. 17 (3) Maximizes the number of participants that can be served. 18 (4) Serves children with limited opportunities to 19 participate in natural resource-based outdoor activities. 20 (5) Uses public park and other natural resource venues and 21 personnel as a resource. 22 (6) Commits to matching funds or in-kind resources. 23 b. In addition to considering the preferences in paragraph 24 “a” , the director shall ensure that at least fifty percent 25 of the moneys awarded under this section benefit students 26 attending schools that qualify for funding under Tit. I of the 27 federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965. 28 4. a. An outdoor education and recreation fund is 29 established in the state treasury under the control of the 30 department. The fund shall consist of moneys deposited 31 in the fund from appropriations, gifts, grants, and other 32 contributions. Moneys in the fund are appropriated to the 33 department for the purpose of issuing grants as part of the 34 no child left inside program. Notwithstanding section 8.33, 35 -1- LSB 1293HH (7) 90 js/rn 1/ 3
H.F. 32 moneys in the fund that remain unencumbered or unobligated 1 at the close of a fiscal year shall not revert but shall 2 remain available for expenditure for the purpose designated. 3 Notwithstanding section 12C.7, subsection 2, interest or 4 earnings on moneys in the fund shall be credited to the fund. 5 b. The fund may consist of moneys that are deposited in 6 the fund prior to July 1, 2025, from moneys received by the 7 state from the elementary and secondary school emergency relief 8 fund created pursuant to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and 9 Economic Security Act, Pub. L. No. 116-136, as amended by the 10 Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021, Pub. L. No. 116-260, 11 and from moneys received by the state under the American Rescue 12 Plan Act of 2021, Pub. L. No. 117-2, unless the governor 13 determines such deposit to be contrary to federal guidelines or 14 regulations. Any moneys deposited pursuant to this paragraph 15 shall be used for the purpose of issuing grants as part of the 16 no child left inside program prior to using moneys deposited to 17 the fund from the general fund. 18 c. For the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2023, and for each 19 fiscal year thereafter, there is appropriated from the general 20 fund of the state to the outdoor education and recreation fund 21 established in paragraph “a” the sum of one million dollars. 22 At least fifty percent of the moneys appropriated under this 23 paragraph shall be used to provide grants to benefit students 24 attending schools that qualify for funding under Tit. I of the 25 federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965. 26 EXPLANATION 27 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 28 the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly. 29 This bill relates to outdoor education and recreation 30 programs serving youth. The bill requires the director of 31 the department of natural resources (DNR) to establish and 32 administer a no child left inside program to provide grants for 33 outdoor environmental, ecological, and other natural 34 resource-based education and recreation programs serving 35 -2- LSB 1293HH (7) 90 js/rn 2/ 3
H.F. 32 youth. The director may award grants to accredited public 1 school districts, accredited nonpublic schools, or private 2 nonprofit organizations, with preference given to programs that 3 satisfy certain priorities. The director shall also ensure 4 that at least 50 percent of the moneys awarded benefit students 5 attending schools that qualify for funding under Tit. I of the 6 federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965. 7 The bill establishes an outdoor education and recreation 8 fund in the state treasury under the control of DNR. The 9 fund shall consist of moneys deposited in the fund from 10 appropriations, gifts, grants, and other contributions, but may 11 also consist of moneys that are deposited in the fund prior 12 to July 1, 2025, from moneys received by the state from the 13 elementary and secondary school emergency relief fund created 14 pursuant to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security 15 Act and from moneys received by the state under the American 16 Rescue Plan Act of 2021, unless the governor determines such 17 deposit to be contrary to federal guidelines or regulations. 18 Any moneys deposited from either federal source shall be used 19 for the purpose of issuing grants as part of the no child left 20 inside program prior to using moneys deposited to the fund from 21 the general fund. 22 For the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2023, and each fiscal 23 year thereafter, the bill makes an appropriation of $1 million 24 from the general fund to the outdoor education and recreation 25 fund. At least 50 percent of the moneys appropriated shall be 26 used to provide grants to benefit students attending schools 27 that qualify for funding under Tit. I of the federal Elementary 28 and Secondary Education Act of 1965. 29 -3- LSB 1293HH (7) 90 js/rn 3/ 3
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