SF 2180 – IEDA Investment tax credits and Strategic Infrastructure Program
SF 2351 – Preschool Funding
SF 2353 – Apprenticeships and Job Training
HF 2450 – Justice FY15 Budget
HF 2458 – Ag & Natural Resources FY15 Budget
FLOOR ACTION:
SF 2351 takes additional steps toward universal access to preschool for all Iowa 4-year-olds by expanding eligible expenses for private providers, encouraging targeted community outreach and offering a $1,200 per pupil funding incentive for each student a school adds to their program. The incentive program will operate for the next three school budget years. Schools and private providers may be eligible for an additional 0.2 weighting per student, based on the increase in preschool spots available. This weighting will be an incentive to expand available slots.
Requirements for the incentive plan apply to how the school district will collaborate with participating families, early care providers and community partners to expand the district’s preschool enrollment. The incentive state aid is required to be used to defray increases in costs in connection with the school district’s preschool expansion plan. Such costs may include renovation and other facility costs connected with expansion, outreach, one-time expenses and other costs identified as eligible by the department. Both private providers and school districts should have broad authority to use funding to expand capacity and community outreach.
The bill also increased the allowed administrative fee for private providers from five to 10 percent and allows them to use funding for rental costs and transportation. Authorization is provided for a school district to transport the children participating in the preschool program along with other children and to prorate the costs. The allowable administrative costs for school districts are increased from five to 10 percent. Also, the costs of outreach activities and facility rent are permitted as administrative costs.
The Department of Education will submit a report to the Legislature after completion of the expansion program. [4/14: 28-22, party-line (Bertrand, Segebart “yes”)]
HF 2450 is the FY15 Justice Budget, which appropriates $554,376,308. Highlights include:
• Department of Corrections – $378,266,432
• Department of Public Safety -$89,736,856
• Attorney General – $17,299,305
• Civil Rights Commission – $1,169,540
• Public Defender – $55,784,172
• Iowa Law Enforcement Academy – $881,214
• Board of Parole – $1,204,583
• Department of Public Defense – $6,554,478
• Criminal and Juvenile Justice Planning – $1,260,105
• Homeland Security – $2,229,623
SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES:
Attorney General:
• Senate and Governor are $175,000 over the House. This money is for two FTEs for criminal appeals and area prosecutions division.
• Victims’ Assistance Grants – Senate and Governor are $397,376 over the House. House says this was one-time transition money, but it is needed for ongoing expenses.
Department of Corrections – Institutions:
• Ft. Madison: Senate is $365,918 over House and Governor. This hires six or more corrections officers.
• Anamosa: Senate is $324,000 over House and Governor. This is for six corrections officers.
• Oakdale: Senate is $108,000 over House and Governor. This is two corrections officers.
• Newton: Senate is $108,000 over House and Governor. This is two corrections officers.
• Mt. Pleasant: Senate is $378,000 over House and Governor. This is for seven corrections officers.
• Rockwell City: Senate is $108,000 over House and Governor. This is for two corrections officers.
• Clarinda: Senate is $216,000 over House and Governor. This is for four corrections officers.
• Mitchellville: Senate is $108,000 over House and Governor. This is for two corrections officers.
• Ft. Dodge: Senate is $108,000 over House and Governor. This is for two corrections officers.
Total over House and Governor for Corrections Institutions – $1,823,918 (33 corrections officers).
NOTE: Governor’s and House’s budgets include an increase of $176,200 for Central Office for two FTEs for Prison Rape Elimination Act compliance.
NOTE: Governor’s and House’s budget include $215,504 for four corrections officers at Mitchellville.
Community Based Corrections (CBC)- Drug Court Funding:
• CBC District 1 (Dubuque, etc.): Senate is $100,300 over the House and Governor
• CBC District 2 (Ames, Mason City, Ft. Dodge): Senate is $402,300 over House and Governor
• CBC District 5 (Des Moines, Dallas County, etc.): Senate is $285,000 over House and Governor
• CBC District 7 (Davenport, etc.): Senate is $111,700 over House and Governor
Total over House and Governor for CBC Drug Courts – $988,400
NOTE: Governor and House have an increase of $947,744 for an increase of 14 PPOs spread throughout the CBCs for sex offender supervision.
NOTE: Governor and House have an increase of $189,200 for a drug court in the First District and $127,390 for a drug court in the Sixth District.
Iowa Law Enforcement Academy: Senate is $122,000 below the Governor and the House. This is the salary and benefits for the deputy director. We eliminate this position. The bill also changes Code language to indicate that the director of the Iowa Law Enforcement Academy will be appointed by the Governor subject to confirmation by the Senate and serves at the pleasure of the Governor. The director is currently a merit employee.
Department of Public Safety:
• Iowa State Patrol: Senate is $2,908,694 below the House; Senate is $2,038,389 above the Governor; and House is $4,947,083 above the Governor and FY14.
• Endangered Person Alert System: This is new and the House appropriated $25,000. The bill says the funding is for “ the review, training, information dissemination, and implementation of the endangered person advisory alert system.”
Criminal and Juvenile Justice Planning: Senate is $160,000 over the Governor and the House. This amount would keep Criminal and Juvenile Justice Planning at status quo.
Homeland Security: Senate is $400,000 below the House and the Governor. This is the amount that Homeland Security & Emergency Management requested for its statewide emergency notification system. Significant Language in the Senate Amendment:
• Increases the amount of money that the Attorney General can take from the Consumer Education & Litigation Fund for FY15 and FY16.
• Includes a “cancer presumption” for Public Safety Peace Officers.
• Makes CBC high risk units a protected occupation class in IPERS (applies to 23 people statewide).
• Prohibits any appropriation in this bill from being used to pay for a confidential employee settlement agreement. [4/15: 26-24, party-line ]
FLOOR & COMMITTEE ACTION:
SF 2353 makes significant changes to the job training program and fund under Iowa Code chapter 260F and establishes an apprenticeship program under the new Code chapter 260J. As amended in committee, the Workforce Fund Account and the Workforce Fund is transferred from the Economic Development Authority to the Department of Education. The Workforce Fund amount is increased from $4 million to $6 million. This includes $3 million to the 260F existing worker training, and $3 million to the apprenticeship program in the new Code chapter 260J.
Regarding the 260F program, the Community Colleges will continue to enter into agreements with businesses for training existing workers. Commercial construction and e-commerce are added to the eligible business. Administrative expenses for the jobs training program cannot exceed 5 percent of the total project cost. In addition, 10 percent of the moneys in the Job Training Fund are annually allowed for the following purposes: outreach to employers by community college business and industry outreach staff; monitoring the performance of training agreements and accountability measures; development of training projects and program plans; and business development activities. Only reimbursements will be allowed to the businesses for training, no advances. The current Code requirement of 25 percent business match stays in place.
The bill establishes a new Apprenticeship Training Program Board. This board will review and award apprenticeship training program grants, monitor the performance of those grants, and promote the development of new and the expansion of existing apprenticeships in Iowa. Funding for individual apprenticeship programs would be determined once annually after all applications for assistance have been received by the board. The funding amount depends on the total applicants, the number of apprentices served and contact hours generated. “Contact hours” does include time spent in online training if the total amount of online instruction does not account for more than 30 percent of the total instructional hours. Administrative expenses are limited to not more than 2 percent of the moneys in the fund. [4/14: 12-8, party line (Petersen excused)]
COMMITTEE ACTION:
SF 2180 makes several changes to programs administered by the Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA). The bill:
• Modifies investment tax credits for community based seed capital funds and qualifying business.
• Eliminates the 3-year waiting period for an investor to claim a credit that has been awarded for investing in a qualifying business, and makes other changes regarding timing, dates and requirements of investment.
• Allows for moneys transferred from the Targeted Small Business Financial Assistance Program to be used to establish a program to assist private entities in increasing the number of female entrepreneurs in the state.
• Establishes a Strategic Infrastructure Fund to provide financial assistance for relocation or expansion projects for existing businesses, as well as financial assistance for new businesses. The financial assistance would be used for infrastructure needs.
• Requires the Innovation Council to review and recommend the applications for approval for the infrastructure fund. The IEDA Board will then award projects.
• Requires that recaptures or repayments of the Iowa Values Fund will be transferred to the new infrastructure fund.
• Makes changes to the Endow Iowa Program. Currently, to be an Endow Iowa qualified community foundation, the foundation must substantially comply with national standards. An amendment strikes “substantially complies” and requires “attains” national standards.
• Makes changes to the Economic Development Regions, allowing for more flexibility for entities pursuing economic development with a regional focus. [4/16: 20-1 (Segebart “no”)]
HF 2458 appropriates $43,061,995 from the General Fund to the departments of Agriculture and Natural Resources. In addition, it appropriates $42 million in spending from the Environment First Fund.
The House version of this budget includes a large number of non-budget issues that have not advanced through the normal standing committee process and would negatively impact our state’s ability to preserve and protect our natural resources. The Senate is proposing a strike-after amendment to remove all House language and replace it with the Senate proposal.
While much of the Senate version is status quo compared to FY14, there are some notable changes. The highlights of this bill include:
• An increase of $2 million for the Water Quality Initiative to help fund projects and practices to reduce nutrients in Iowa’s waterways.
• An increase of $100,000 for the Midwest Wine & Grape Institute, which helps Iowa vineyards and wineries improve the quality of their product.
• An increase of $300,000 for forestry health management programs at the Department of Natural Resources. This will enable them to work with more communities facing infestation of emerald ash borer.
• An increase of $137,364 for the Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory at Iowa State University.
• A reduction of $375,000 for the Nutrient Research Center. These dollars allow for the funding of all work plans that had already been approved by the Nutrient Research Center advisory council.
•An overall reduction of $150,000 for the Loess Hills Conservation & Development Authority. This reduction is divided between a $75,000 reduction to the General Fund appropriation for this program and a $75,000 reduction to the Environment First Fund appropriation. The program funding is divided between Hungry Canyons and the Loess Hills Alliance at a 3:1 split.
• A new General Fund appropriation of $150,000 for the Silos & Smokestacks program, which connects schoolchildren to Iowa’s farming heritage through grants for school trips, agricultural heritage preservation and education programs.
• A new Environment First Fund appropriation of $75,000 to monitor and activate a statewide soil moisture-monitoring network. This will enable the state to better forecast flood threats and prepare for threats to water supplies and agriculture production in the event of droughts or severe dry periods.
What is currently in the House budget bill:
The House budget has a number of provisions that would be harmful to our state’s ability to preserve and protect our natural areas, which are not included in the Senate version. The House bill also proposes to scoop money out of the Resource Enhancement and Program (REAP) statutory allocation formula. In 25 years of REAP, this has never been done. The House bill also cuts funding for state parks while increasing funding for Hungry Canyons and Loess Hills, prioritizing a program that only serves a small area of the state over Iowa’s statewide park needs.
The House bill also includes language that appears to expand the amount of information that is confidential regarding the monitoring of demonstration projects conducted under the water quality initiative. [4/14: 12-8, party line (Petersen excused)]