Bill Text: IA SF2187 | 2017-2018 | 87th General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: A bill for an act establishing an Iowa employment and education rides initiative and related fund in the state department of transportation.
Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2018-02-08 - Subcommittee: Brown, Kraayenbrink, and Lykam. S.J. 277. [SF2187 Detail]
Download: Iowa-2017-SF2187-Introduced.html
Senate File 2187 - Introduced SENATE FILE BY KINNEY A BILL FOR 1 An Act establishing an Iowa employment and education rides 2 initiative and related fund in the state department of 3 transportation. 4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: TLSB 5833XS (2) 87 je/jh PAG LIN 1 1 Section 1. NEW SECTION. 324A.8 Iowa employment and 1 2 education rides initiative ==== grant program ==== fund. 1 3 1. As used in this section, unless the context otherwise 1 4 requires, "employment and education transportation" means an 1 5 urban or rural program or service that provides an individual 1 6 with transportation solely to or from a workplace or adult 1 7 education venue, including but not limited to a community 1 8 college, evening or weekend class, apprenticeship program, or 1 9 job training program. Such urban or rural program or service 1 10 includes but is not limited to the following programs and 1 11 services: 1 12 a. Expanding or sustaining existing transportation services 1 13 or service hours, including nights and weekends. 1 14 b. Coordinating ride share services, including car pool or 1 15 van pool services. 1 16 c. Shuttle services. 1 17 2. The Iowa employment and education rides initiative 1 18 is established in the department to provide funds to public 1 19 transit systems for programs and services that provide 1 20 employment and education transportation to Iowans. 1 21 3. The department shall award funds from the initiative 1 22 on a competitive grant basis. A grant shall not exceed 1 23 one hundred fifty thousand dollars. A grant application 1 24 shall contain a commitment from the public transit system 1 25 of at least a dollar=for=dollar match of the grant funds 1 26 awarded. Grant funds shall be used only for operational costs 1 27 directly associated with providing employment and education 1 28 transportation and shall not be used for capital expenditures 1 29 or construction. 1 30 4. A public transit system may coordinate with other local, 1 31 state, or federal governmental agencies and private nonprofit 1 32 organizations in the administration of a program or service 1 33 receiving a grant under the initiative and in expenditure of 1 34 grant funds. 1 35 5. The department shall, by January 1 each year, submit 2 1 a report to the general assembly on the outcomes of the 2 2 initiative, including the grant amount, the type of program or 2 3 service receiving funds, and the number of individuals served 2 4 for each grant awarded by the initiative. As a condition of 2 5 having received a grant from the initiative, a public transit 2 6 system shall provide the department with information on any 2 7 program or service for which the public transit system is 2 8 awarded a grant from the initiative. 2 9 6. The department shall adopt rules pursuant to chapter 17A 2 10 to administer the initiative, including but not limited to an 2 11 application process and grant award criteria. 2 12 7. a. An Iowa employment and education rides fund is 2 13 created in the state treasury under the control of the 2 14 department. The fund shall consist of moneys appropriated to 2 15 the department and any other moneys available to, obtained, or 2 16 accepted by the department for placement in the fund. 2 17 b. Moneys in the fund shall be used to provide grants under 2 18 the Iowa employment and education rides initiative established 2 19 in this section. 2 20 c. Moneys in the fund are not subject to section 8.33. 2 21 Notwithstanding section 12C.7, subsection 2, interest or 2 22 earnings on moneys in the fund shall be credited to the fund. 2 23 EXPLANATION 2 24 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 2 25 the explanation's substance by the members of the general assembly. 2 26 This bill establishes an Iowa employment and education rides 2 27 initiative in the department of transportation to provide 2 28 funds to public transit systems for programs and services that 2 29 provide employment and education transportation to Iowans. 2 30 The bill defines "employment and education transportation" 2 31 as an urban or rural program or service that provides an 2 32 individual with transportation solely to or from a workplace or 2 33 adult education venue, including but not limited to a community 2 34 college, evening or weekend class, apprenticeship program, or 2 35 job training program. The urban or rural program or service 3 1 includes but is not limited to expanding or sustaining existing 3 2 transportation services or service hours, including nights and 3 3 weekends; coordinating ride share services, including car pool 3 4 or van pool services; and shuttle services. 3 5 A "public transit system" is defined under Code section 3 6 324A.1 as an urban or regional transit system providing 3 7 transit services accessible to the general public and receiving 3 8 federal, state, or local tax support. 3 9 The department shall award funds from the initiative on a 3 10 competitive grant basis. A grant cannot exceed $150,000. A 3 11 grant application must contain a commitment from the public 3 12 transit system of at least a dollar=for=dollar match of 3 13 the grant funds awarded. Grant funds can only be used for 3 14 operational costs directly associated with providing employment 3 15 and education transportation and cannot be used for capital 3 16 expenditures or construction. 3 17 The bill permits a public transit system to coordinate 3 18 with other local, state, or federal governmental agencies and 3 19 private nonprofit organizations in the administration of a 3 20 program or service receiving a grant under the initiative and 3 21 in expenditure of grant funds awarded. 3 22 As a condition of receiving a grant from the initiative, 3 23 a public transit system must provide the department with 3 24 information on any program or service for which the public 3 25 transit system is awarded a grant. The bill requires the 3 26 department to submit an annual report to the general assembly 3 27 on the outcomes of the initiative, including the grant amount, 3 28 the type of program or service receiving funds, and the number 3 29 of individuals served for each grant awarded by the initiative. 3 30 The bill requires the department to adopt administrative 3 31 rules to administer the initiative, including but not limited 3 32 to an application process and grant award criteria. 3 33 The bill creates an employment and education rides fund in 3 34 the state treasury under the control of the department. The 3 35 fund shall consist of moneys appropriated to the department and 4 1 any other moneys available to, obtained, or accepted by the 4 2 department for placement in the fund. The moneys in the fund 4 3 shall be used to provide grants under the Iowa employment and 4 4 education rides initiative established in the bill. LSB 5833XS (2) 87 je/jh
