SF 233 — Changes to Iowa Economic Development Authority’s Programs
SF 234 – Iowa Employment Rides Initiative
FLOOR ACTION:
SF 233 clarifies language requiring a life cycle cost analyses for public buildings. The bill adds a definition for the term “addition.” The bill clarifies the manner in which matching funds are determined under the STEM and Target Industry Internship programs in the Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA). The bill amends the order of funds transfers by the Department of Revenue for the purposes of Reinvestment Districts and Flood Mitigation Districts whenever such districts overlap. In addition, the bill allows Reinvestment District plans to be amended. It does not allow new districts to be approved after 2018. The bill allows IEDA to amend existing Enterprise Zone agreements for compliance reasons. Those amendments cannot increase tax incentive award amounts. Senate File 233 makes procedural changes to the judicial process regarding abandoned and unsafe buildings. In addition, the bill establishes a new revolving loan fund at IEDA to help cities fund the acquisition and demolition of nuisance structures. There is no appropriation in the bill for the fund. IEDA would fund the program by transferring allocated amounts from repayments and recaptures under the High Quality Jobs program. The money would be used as loans to cities at a low interest rate. [2/24: 49-0 (Chelgren excused)]
SF 234 establishes an Iowa Employment Rides Initiative to provide funds to public transit systems for programs and services that provide employment transportation to Iowans. The program will be administered by the Department of Transportation (DOT). Employment transportation can be an urban or a rural program or service that provides an individual with transportation solely to or from a workplace. The awards will be granted on a competitive basis. A grant cannot exceed $150,000. The grant application must contain a commitment from the public transit system of at least a dollar-for-dollar match of the grant funds awarded. An Employment Rides Fund is created under the control of DOT. The money in the fund will provide grants under the Iowa Employment Rides Initiative. Senate File 234 does not contain an appropriation. [2/24: 26-23, party-line (Chelgren excused)]