SF 1 – Iowa First
SSB 1117 – IFA Shelter Assistance Fund
COMMITTEE ACTION:
SF 1 gives Iowa businesses seeking to sell products and services to the state the chance to match competing out-of-state bids for projects under $500,000, provided the Iowa firm is within 5 percent or $10,000 of the lowest bidder. Also, the bill provides that a response to a request for bid or proposal must contain the percentage of ownership of the business that is held by Iowa residents, the percentage of employees who are Iowa residents who will be carrying out the work in connection with the contract, and the amount of property tax paid by the business during the most recently completed fiscal year. This bill does not apply to bids relating to road or bridge construction or repair, architectural or engineering services, or any public improvement projects. [2/5: 9-6, party-line]
SSB 1117 makes a change to allow the designee of the executive director of the Iowa Finance Authority (IFA) to serve as secretary of the Iowa Title Guaranty Board. The bill also makes changes to the Shelter Assistance Fund that is administered by IFA. Currently, the law allows the moneys to be used for rehabilitation and expansion, but the funds are not being used for those purposes. The bill eliminates the requirement that IFA can use the money for rehabilitation and expansion of homeless and domestic violence shelters. The bill codifies that the grants will be awarded on a competitive basis, which is the current process in rules. The bill increases IFA’s administration fee from 2 percent to 3 percent. [2/10: short form]