1. a. A disaster case advocacy grant fund is created in the state treasury for the use of the executive council. Moneys in the fund shall be available following the governor’s proclamation of a state of disaster emergency or the declaration of a major disaster by the president of the United States.

 b. The executive council may make financial grants to meet disaster-related case advocacy needs of disaster-affected individuals. The aggregate total of grants awarded shall not be more than one million dollars during a fiscal year. However, within the same fiscal year, additional funds may be specifically authorized by the executive council to meet additional needs. Upon request of the department, the executive council may make available up to one hundred thousand dollars, or so much as is necessary, for contract entity staff support and case management training.
 c. The department shall work with representatives of selected nonprofit, voluntary, and faith-based organizations active in disaster recovery and response to establish a statewide system of disaster case advocacy to be activated following the governor’s proclamation of a disaster emergency or the declaration of a major disaster by the president of the United States for individual assistance purposes.

Terms Used In Iowa Code 29C.20B

  • Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
  • 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
  • Oversight: Committee review of the activities of a Federal agency or program.
  • 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
  • United States: includes all the states. See Iowa Code 4.1
  • year: means twelve consecutive months. See Iowa Code 4.1
 2. The department shall administer disaster case advocacy grants. The department shall establish a disaster case advocacy program and adopt rules pursuant to chapter 17A necessary to administer the program. The executive council shall use grant moneys to reimburse the department for actual expenses associated with the administration of the grants. Under the program, the department shall coordinate case advocacy services locally through one or more contracted entities. The department may implement an ongoing contract with a provider of a statewide program with local offices throughout the state to serve as the local administrative entity for the grant program to allow implementation of the program with minimal delay following a governor’s proclamation of a state of disaster emergency or a declaration of a major disaster by the president of the United States.
 3. The department in consultation with representatives of the Iowa voluntary organizations active in disaster, shall adopt rules pursuant to chapter 17A to create coordination mechanisms and standards for the establishment and implementation of a statewide system of disaster case advocacy. The rules adopted by the department for the program shall include but are not limited to all of the following:

 a. If a local administrative entity is under contract with the state to provide other services or is implementing a state or federal program and the contract contains adequate financial responsibility provisions, the department shall accept the existing surety bond or financial responsibility provisions in lieu of applying a new or additional financial responsibility requirement.
 b. Authorization for the local administrative entity to draw down grant funding to pay valid claims on at least a weekly basis.
 c. Disaster case advocacy standards.
 d. Disaster case advocacy policies.
 e. Reporting requirements.
 f. Eligibility criteria.
 g. Coordination mechanisms necessary to carry out the services provided.
 h. Development of formal working relationships with agencies and creation of interagency agreements for those considered to provide disaster case advocacy services.
 i. Establishment of nonduplication of benefits policies and mechanisms.
 j. Referral to all known available services for individuals from multiple agencies in coordinated service locations.
 4. By January 1 of each year, the department shall submit an annual written report to the legislative fiscal committee and the general assembly’s standing committees on government oversight concerning the activities of the grant program during the previous fiscal year.
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