28.9 - IOWA EMPOWERMENT FUND.
28.9 IOWA EMPOWERMENT FUND.
1. An Iowa empowerment fund is created in the state treasury.
The moneys credited to the Iowa empowerment fund are not subject to
section 8.33 and moneys in the fund shall not be transferred, used,
obligated, appropriated, or otherwise encumbered except as provided
by law. Notwithstanding section 12C.7, subsection 2, interest or
earnings on moneys deposited in the Iowa empowerment fund shall be
credited to the fund.
2. A school ready children grants account is created in the Iowa
empowerment fund under the authority of the director of the
department of education. Moneys credited to the account shall be
distributed by the department of education in the form of grants to
community empowerment areas pursuant to criteria established by the
Iowa board in accordance with law.
3. Unless a different amount is authorized by law, up to three
percent of the school ready children grant moneys distributed under
the auspices of the Iowa board to a community empowerment area board
may be used by the community board for administrative costs and other
implementation expenses.
4. a. An early childhood programs grant account is created in
the Iowa empowerment fund under the authority of the director of
human services. Moneys credited to the account are appropriated to
and shall be distributed by the department of human services in the
form of grants to community empowerment areas pursuant to criteria
established by the Iowa board in accordance with law. The criteria
shall include but are not limited to a requirement that a community
empowerment area must be designated by the Iowa board in accordance
with section 28.5, in order to be eligible to receive an early
childhood programs grant.
b. The maximum funding amount a community empowerment area is
eligible to receive from the early childhood programs grant account
for a fiscal year shall be determined by applying the area's
percentage of the state's average monthly family investment program
population in the preceding fiscal year to the total amount credited
to the account for the fiscal year.
c. A community empowerment area receiving funding from the
early childhood programs grant account shall comply with any federal
reporting requirements associated with the use of that funding and
other results and reporting requirements established by the Iowa
empowerment board. The department of human services shall provide
technical assistance in identifying and meeting the federal
requirements. The availability of funding provided from the account
is subject to changes in federal requirements and amendments to Iowa
law.
d. The moneys distributed from the early childhood programs
grant account shall be used by community empowerment areas for the
purposes of enhancing quality child care capacity in support of
parent capability to obtain or retain employment. The moneys shall
be used with a primary emphasis on low-income families and children
from birth to five years of age. Moneys shall be provided in a
flexible manner and shall be used to implement strategies identified
by the community empowerment area to achieve such purposes. The
department of human services may use a portion of the funding
appropriated to the department under this subsection for provision of
technical assistance and other support to community empowerment areas
developing and implementing strategies with grant moneys distributed
from the account.
e. Moneys from a federal block grant that are credited to the
early childhood programs grant account but are not distributed to a
community empowerment area or otherwise remain unobligated or
unexpended at the end of the fiscal year shall revert to the fund
created in section 8.41 to be available for appropriation by the
general assembly in a subsequent fiscal year.
5. A first years first account is created in the Iowa empowerment
fund under the authority of the department of management. The
account shall consist of gift or grant moneys obtained from any
source, including but not limited to the federal government. Moneys
credited to the account are appropriated to the department of
management to be used for the community empowerment-related purposes
for which the moneys were received. Section History: Recent Form
98 Acts, ch 1206, §9, 20
C99, §7I.8
99 Acts, ch 190, §14, 15, 19, 20
CS99, §28.9
2005 Acts, ch 175, §56; 2006 Acts, ch 1157, §12--14; 2008 Acts, ch
1187, §105 Footnotes
For FY 2009-2010, a portion of moneys deposited in first years
first account to be distributed to community empowerment areas using
the distribution formula for school ready grants; 2009 Acts, ch 177,
§8