Iowa Code 8.41 – Federal funds — deposit — block grant plans — affected political subdivisions
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1. Commencing with the fiscal year beginning July 1, 1981, federal funds received in the form of block grants shall be deposited in a special fund in the state treasury and are subject to appropriation by the general assembly upon a recommendation by the governor. In determining a general fund balance, the federal funds deposited in the special fund shall not be included, but shall remain segregated in the special fund until appropriated by the general assembly.
Terms Used In Iowa Code 8.41
- Appropriation: The provision of funds, through an annual appropriations act or a permanent law, for federal agencies to make payments out of the Treasury for specified purposes. The formal federal spending process consists of two sequential steps: authorization
- Block grant: means funds from the federal government awarded in broad program areas within which the state is given considerable latitude in determining how funds are used and for which the state develops its own plan for spending according to general federal guidelines. See Iowa Code 8.2
- Budget: means the budget document required by this chapter to be transmitted to the legislature. See Iowa Code 8.2
- Categorical grant: means federal funds applied for and received by the state which are in the form of entitlements, formula grants, discretionary grants, open-ended entitlements or another form that may be used only for specific narrowly defined activities except funds for student aid and assistance; grants, contracts and cooperative agreements for research and training for which no appropriated matching funds are required; and reimbursements for services rendered. See Iowa Code 8.2
- Division: means the Iowa title guaranty division in the authority, the director of the division, or a designee of the director. See Iowa Code 16.92
- Fiscal year: The fiscal year is the accounting period for the government. For the federal government, this begins on October 1 and ends on September 30. The fiscal year is designated by the calendar year in which it ends; for example, fiscal year 2006 begins on October 1, 2005 and ends on September 30, 2006.
- following: when used by way of reference to a chapter or other part of a statute mean the next preceding or next following chapter or other part. See Iowa Code 4.1
- Government: means the government of the state of Iowa. See Iowa Code 8.2
- Special fund: means any and all government fees and other revenue receipts earmarked to finance a governmental agency to which no general fund appropriation is made by the state. See Iowa Code 8.2
- state: when applied to the different parts of the United States, includes the District of Columbia and the territories, and the words "United States" may include the said district and territories. See Iowa Code 4.1
- State agency: means a board, department, commission or authority of or acting on behalf of the state having the power to enter into contracts with or without the approval of the executive council to acquire property in its own name or in the name of the state. See Iowa Code 7D.34
- year: means twelve consecutive months. See Iowa Code 4.1
2. Federal funds deposited in the state treasury as provided in subsection 1 shall either be included as part of the governor’s budget required by section 8.22 or shall be included in a separate recommendation made by the governor to the general assembly. If federal funds received in the form of block grants or categorical grants have not been included in the governor’s budget for the current fiscal year because of time constraints or because a budget is not being submitted for the next fiscal year, the governor shall submit a supplemental statement to the general assembly listing the federal funds received and including the same information for the federal funds required by section 8.22, subsection 1, paragraph “b”, subparagraph (1), subparagraph division (e), for the statement of federal funds in the governor’s budget.
3. a. If, in any federal fiscal year, the federal government provides for a block grant which requires a new or revised program than was required in the prior fiscal year, each state agency required to administer the block grant program shall develop a block grant plan detailing program changes.
b. To the extent allowed by federal law, the block grant plan shall be developed in accordance with the following:
(1) The primary goal of the plan shall be to attain savings for taxpayers and to avoid shifting costs from the federal government to state and local governments.
(2) State agency planning meetings shall be held jointly with officials of the affected political subdivision and affected members of the public.
(3) The plan shall address proposed expenditures and accountability measures and shall be published so as to provide reasonable opportunity for public review and comment.
(4) (a) Preference shall be given to any existing service delivery system capable of delivering the required service. If an existing service delivery system is not used, the plan shall identify those existing delivery systems which were considered and the reasons those systems were rejected. This subparagraph division applies to any service delivered pursuant to a federal block grant, including but not limited to any of the following block grant areas: health, human services, education, employment, community and economic development, and criminal justice.
(b) If a service delivered pursuant to a federal block grant and implemented by a political subdivision was previously provided for by a categorical grant, the state agency shall allow the political subdivision adequate transition time to accommodate related changes in federal and state policy. Transition activities may include, but are not limited to, revision of the political subdivision’s laws, budgets, and administrative procedures.
(c) The state agency shall allow the political subdivision the flexibility to implement a service in a manner so as to address identifiable needs within the context of meeting broad national objectives.
(5) State administrative costs shall not exceed the limits allowed for under the federal law enacting the block grant.
(6) A federal mandate that is eliminated or waived for the state shall be eliminated or waived for a political subdivision.
(7) Federal block grants shall not be used to supplant existing funding efforts by the state.
c. The state agency shall send copies of the proposed block grant plan to the legislative fiscal committee and to the appropriate appropriations subcommittee chairpersons and ranking members of the general assembly. The plan and any program changes contained within the plan shall be adopted as rules in accordance with chapter 17A.