Bill Text: IA SF2070 | 2017-2018 | 87th General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: A bill for an act establishing a home modification grant program and making appropriations.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2018-01-29 - Subcommittee recommends amendment and passage. [SF2070 Detail]
Download: Iowa-2017-SF2070-Introduced.html
Senate File 2070 - Introduced SENATE FILE BY ZAUN (COMPANION TO LSB 5713HH by heaton) A BILL FOR 1 An Act establishing a home modification grant program and 2 making appropriations. 3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: TLSB 5713XS (3) 87 ko/rn PAG LIN 1 1 Section 1. NEW SECTION. 16.52 Home modification grant 1 2 program. 1 3 1. As used in this section, unless the context otherwise 1 4 requires: 1 5 a. "Accommodate" means to make a primary residence 1 6 accessible for a qualified person in a manner that is necessary 1 7 because of the qualified person's age, disability, or 1 8 condition. 1 9 b. "Medical provider" means a physician, physician 1 10 assistant, advanced registered nurse practitioner, physical 1 11 therapist, or occupational therapist. 1 12 c. "Modifications or improvements" means modifications or 1 13 improvements to a qualified person's residence to accommodate 1 14 the qualified person's age, disability, or condition. A 1 15 modification or improvement shall: 1 16 (1) Consist of one or more of the following: 1 17 (a) Providing for or installing no=step entrances. 1 18 (b) Providing for or installing exterior or interior ramps. 1 19 (c) Providing for or installing stairway lifts or 1 20 elevators. 1 21 (d) Providing for or installing handrails or grab bars, or 1 22 the reinforcement of grab bars. 1 23 (e) Providing for or installing hardware for doors. 1 24 (f) Widening exterior doors or interior hallways to more 1 25 than thirty=six inches. 1 26 (g) Widening interior doors to more than thirty=two inches. 1 27 (h) Modifying electrical components, including moving 1 28 electrical outlets and switches. 1 29 (i) Modifying bathrooms, including but not limited to 1 30 providing for modification or installation of accessible 1 31 toilets, bathtubs, showers, plumbing, and fixtures. 1 32 (j) Modifying kitchens including but not limited to 1 33 providing for modification or installation of accessible 1 34 countertops, cabinets, appliances, plumbing, and fixtures. 1 35 (k) Modifying bedrooms including but not limited to 2 1 the relocation of a bedroom to an accessible space in the 2 2 residence. 2 3 (2) Be certified by a medical provider as being necessary to 2 4 accommodate the qualified person's use of the residence. 2 5 (3) Consist of improvements to real property following a 2 6 modification or installation under subparagraph (1). 2 7 (4) A modification or improvement shall not include 2 8 the construction of a new residence, or an addition to or 2 9 modification of an existing residence that expands its living 2 10 area that is not otherwise described in this section. 2 11 d. "Qualified homeowner" means an owner of residential 2 12 real property that is located in this state, including a 2 13 condominium, that is the primary residence of the owner, who is 2 14 a qualified person or resides with a spouse or dependent who 2 15 is a qualified person. 2 16 e. "Qualified person" means a person who is at least 2 17 sixty=five years of age, is living with a disability, as 2 18 defined in 42 U.S.C. {12102, or has a chronic condition the 2 19 progression of which will require a permanent modification to 2 20 the qualified person's residence. 2 21 2. A home modification grant program is established. The 2 22 executive director shall administer the program and provide 2 23 grants, in amounts not to exceed five thousand dollars, from 2 24 moneys appropriated to the authority for purposes of the 2 25 program to qualified homeowners for the purpose of making 2 26 modifications and improvements to accommodate the use of a 2 27 residence by a qualified person. 2 28 Sec. 2. HOME MODIFICATION GRANT PROGRAM APPROPRIATION. 2 29 There is appropriated from the general fund of the state to the 2 30 Iowa finance authority for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2 31 2018, and ending June 30, 2019, the following amount to be used 2 32 for the purposes designated: 2 33 For providing home modification grants pursuant to section 2 34 16.52 to qualified homeowners, and for administration of the 2 35 home modification grant program: 3 1 .................................................. $ 600,000 3 2 EXPLANATION 3 3 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 3 4 the explanation's substance by the members of the general assembly. 3 5 This bill establishes a home modification grant program 3 6 (program) to be administered by the executive director of the 3 7 Iowa finance authority. The executive director is required 3 8 to provide grants, in amounts not to exceed $5,000, from 3 9 moneys appropriated for the program to qualified homeowners 3 10 for the purposes of making modifications and improvements to 3 11 accommodate the use of a primary residence by a qualified 3 12 person. 3 13 To receive a grant under the program, a qualified homeowner 3 14 must be an owner of residential real property that is located 3 15 in this state that is the primary residence of the owner, who 3 16 is a qualified person, as defined in the bill, or resides with 3 17 a spouse or dependent who is a qualified person. Under the 3 18 bill, a qualified person is a person who is at least 65 years of 3 19 age, is living with a disability, or has a chronic condition 3 20 the progression of which will require a permanent modification 3 21 to the qualified person's residence. 3 22 Under the bill, allowable modifications and improvements 3 23 include providing for or installing no=step entrances, 3 24 providing for or installing exterior or interior ramps, 3 25 providing for or installing stairway lifts or elevators, 3 26 providing for or installing handrails or grab bars or the 3 27 reinforcement of grab bars, providing for or installing 3 28 hardware for doors, widening exterior doors or interior 3 29 hallways to more than 36 inches, widening interior doors to 3 30 more than 32 inches, and modifying electrical components, 3 31 including moving electrical outlets and switches, modifying 3 32 bathrooms, kitchens, and bedrooms. 3 33 The bill makes a one=time appropriation of $600,000 from 3 34 the general fund for FY 2019 to the Iowa finance authority to 3 35 provide grants and to administer the program. LSB 5713XS (3) 87 ko/rn
