Section 16.2D. Council on homelessness.

  1.  A council on homelessness is created consisting of thirty-eight voting members. At all times, at least one voting member shall be a member of a minority group.

  2.  Members of the council shall consist of all of the following:

  a.  Twenty-six members of the general public appointed to two-year staggered terms by the governor in consultation with the nominating committee under subsection 4, paragraph “a”.

  (1)  Voting members from the general public may include but are not limited to the following types of individuals and representatives of the following programs:  homeless or formerly homeless individuals and their family members, youth shelters, faith-based organizations, local homeless service providers, emergency shelters, transitional housing providers, family and domestic violence shelters, private business, local government, and community-based organizations.

  (2)  Five of the twenty-six voting members selected from the general public shall be individuals who are homeless, formerly homeless, or family members of homeless or formerly homeless individuals.

  (3)  One of the twenty-six members selected from the general public shall be a representative of the Iowa state association of counties.

  (4)  One of the twenty-six members selected from the general public shall be a representative of the Iowa league of cities.

  b.  Twelve agency director members consisting of all of the following:

  (1)  The director of the department of education or the director’s designee.

  (2)  The director of the economic development authority or the director’s designee.

  (3)  The director of human services or the director’s designee.

  (4)  The attorney general or the attorney general’s designee.

  (5)  The director of the department of human rights or the director’s designee.

  (6)  The director of public health or the director’s designee.

  (7)  The director of the department on aging or the director’s designee.

  (8)  The director of the department of corrections or the director’s designee.

  (9)  The director of the department of workforce development or the director’s designee.

  (10)  The director of the department of public safety or the director’s designee.

  (11)  The director of the department of veterans affairs or the director’s designee.

  (12)  The executive director of the Iowa finance authority or the executive director’s designee.

  3.  An agency director’s designee may vote on council matters in the absence of the director.

  4.  a.  A nominating committee initially comprised of all twelve agency director members shall nominate persons to the governor to fill the general public member positions. Following appointment of all twenty-six general public members, the composition of the nominating committee may be modified by rule.

  b.  The council may establish other committees and subcommittees comprised of members of the council.

  5.  A vacancy on the council shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointment. A member appointed to fill a vacancy created other than by expiration of a term shall be appointed for the remainder of the unexpired term.

  6.  a.  A majority of the members of the council constitutes a quorum. Any action taken by the council must be adopted by the affirmative vote of a majority of its membership.

  b.  The council shall elect a chairperson and vice chairperson from the membership of the council. The chairperson and vice chairperson shall each serve two-year terms. The positions of chairperson and vice chairperson shall not be held by members who are both either general public members or agency directors. The position of chairperson shall rotate between agency director members and general public members.

  c.  The council shall meet at least six times per year. Meetings of the council may be called by the chairperson or by a majority of the members.

  d.  General public members shall be reimbursed by the authority for actual and necessary expenses incurred while engaged in their official duties.

  7.  The authority shall provide staff assistance and administrative support to the council.

  8.  The duties of the council shall include but are not limited to the following:

  a.  Develop a process for evaluating state policies, programs, statutes, and rules to determine whether any state policies, programs, statutes, or rules should be revised to help prevent and alleviate homelessness.

  b.  Evaluate whether state agency resources could be more efficiently coordinated with other state agencies to prevent and alleviate homelessness.

  c.  Work to develop a coordinated and seamless service delivery system to prevent and alleviate homelessness.

  d.  Use existing resources to identify and prioritize efforts to prevent persons from becoming homeless and to eliminate factors that keep people homeless.

  e.  Identify and use federal and other funding opportunities to address and reduce homelessness within the state.

  f.  Work to identify causes and effects of homelessness and increase awareness among policymakers and the general public.

  g.  Advise the governor’s office, the authority, state agencies, and private organizations on strategies to prevent and eliminate homelessness.

  9.  a.  The council shall make annual recommendations to the governor regarding matters which impact homelessness on or before September 15.

  b.  The council shall prepare and file with the governor and the general assembly on or before the first day of December in each odd-numbered year, a report on homelessness in Iowa.

  c.  The council shall assist in the completion of the state’s continuum of care application to the United States department of housing and urban development.

  10.  a.  The authority, in consultation with the council, shall adopt rules pursuant to chapter 17A for carrying out the duties of the council pursuant to this section.

  b.  The council shall establish internal rules of procedure consistent with the provisions of this section.

  c.  Rules adopted or internal rules of procedure established pursuant to paragraph “a” or “b” shall be consistent with the requirements of the federal McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, 42 U.S.C. §11301 et seq.

  11.  The council shall comply with the requirements of chapters 21 and 22. The authority shall be the official repository of council records.

2014 Acts, ch 1080, §10, 78

; 2015 Acts, ch 30, §15

Subsection 1 amended