16.100A - COUNCIL ON HOMELESSNESS.
16.100A COUNCIL ON HOMELESSNESS.
1. A council on homelessness is established consisting of
thirty-eight voting members. At least one voting member at all times
shall be a member of a minority group.
2. Members of the council shall consist of all of the following:
a. Twenty-six members of the general public appointed to
two-year staggered terms by the governor in consultation with the
nominating committee under subsection 4, paragraph "a".
(1) Voting members from the general public may include but are
not limited to the following types of individuals and representatives
of the following programs: homeless or formerly homeless individuals
and their family members, youth shelters, faith-based organizations,
local homeless service providers, emergency shelters, transitional
housing providers, family and domestic violence shelters, private
business, local government, and community-based organizations.
(2) Five of the twenty-six voting members selected from the
general public shall be individuals who are homeless, formerly
homeless, or family members of homeless or formerly homeless
individuals.
(3) One of the twenty-six members selected from the general
public shall be a representative of the Iowa state association of
counties.
(4) One of the twenty-six members selected from the general
public shall be a representative of the Iowa league of cities.
b. Twelve agency director members consisting of all of the
following:
(1) The director of the department of education or the director's
designee.
(2) The director of the department of economic development or the
director's designee.
(3) The director of human services or the director's designee.
(4) The attorney general or the attorney general's designee.
(5) The director of the department of human rights or the
director's designee.
(6) The director of public health or the director's designee.
(7) The director of the department on aging or the director's
designee.
(8) The director of the department of corrections or the
director's designee.
(9) The director of the department of workforce development or
the director's designee.
(10) The director of the department of public safety or the
director's designee.
(11) The director of the department of veterans affairs or the
director's designee.
(12) The executive director of the Iowa finance authority or the
executive director's designee.
3. An agency director's designee may vote on council matters in
the absence of the director.
4. a. A nominating committee initially comprised of all
twelve agency director members shall nominate persons to the governor
to fill the general public member positions. Following appointment
of all twenty-six general public members, the composition of the
nominating committee may be modified by rule.
b. The council may establish other committees and
subcommittees comprised of members of the council.
5. A vacancy on the council shall be filled in the same manner as
the original appointment. A member appointed to fill a vacancy
created other than by expiration of a term shall be appointed for the
remainder of the unexpired term.
6. a. A majority of the members of the council constitutes a
quorum. Any action taken by the council must be adopted by the
affirmative vote of a majority of its membership.
b. The council shall elect a chairperson and vice chairperson
from the membership of the council. The chairperson and vice
chairperson shall each serve two-year terms. The positions of
chairperson and vice chairperson shall not be held by members who are
both either general public members or agency directors. The position
of chairperson shall rotate between agency director members and
general public members.
c. The council shall meet at least six times per year.
Meetings of the council may be called by the chairperson or by a
majority of the members.
d. General public members shall be reimbursed for actual and
necessary expenses incurred while engaged in their official duties.
Expense payments shall be made from appropriations made for purposes
of this section.
7. The Iowa finance authority shall provide staff assistance and
administrative support to the council.
8. The duties of the council shall include but are not limited to
the following:
a. Develop a process for evaluating state policies, programs,
statutes, and rules to determine whether any state policies,
programs, statutes, or rules should be revised to help prevent and
alleviate homelessness.
b. Evaluate whether state agency resources could be more
efficiently coordinated with other state agencies to prevent and
alleviate homelessness.
c. Work to develop a coordinated and seamless service
delivery system to prevent and alleviate homelessness.
d. Use existing resources to identify and prioritize efforts
to prevent persons from becoming homeless and to eliminate factors
that keep people homeless.
e. Identify and use federal and other funding opportunities
to address and reduce homelessness within the state.
f. Work to identify causes and effects of homelessness and
increase awareness among policymakers and the general public.
g. Advise the governor's office, the Iowa finance authority,
state agencies, and private organizations on strategies to prevent
and eliminate homelessness.
9. a. The council shall make annual recommendations to the
governor regarding matters which impact homelessness on or before
September 15.
b. The council shall prepare and file with the governor and
the general assembly on or before the first day of December in each
odd-numbered year, a report on homelessness in Iowa.
c. The council shall assist in the completion of the state's
continuum of care application to the United States department of
housing and urban development.
10. a. The Iowa finance authority, in consultation with the
council, shall adopt rules pursuant to chapter 17A for carrying out
the duties of the council pursuant to this section.
b. The council shall establish internal rules of procedure
consistent with the provisions of this section.
c. Rules adopted or internal rules of procedure established
pursuant to paragraph "a" or "b" shall be consistent with the
requirements of the federal McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act,
42 U.S.C. § 11301 et seq.
11. The council shall comply with the requirements of chapters 21
and 22. The Iowa finance authority shall be the official repository
of council records. Section History: Recent Form
2008 Acts, ch 1117, §1; 2009 Acts, ch 23, §4; 2009 Acts, ch 41,
§20; 2009 Acts, ch 43, §4