Bill Text: IA HF2081 | 2015-2016 | 86th General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: A bill for an act relating to school district transportation assistance aid, making appropriations, and including effective date and applicability provisions.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2016-01-26 - Subcommittee, Highfill, Dolecheck, and Hanson. H.J. 123. [HF2081 Detail]
Download: Iowa-2015-HF2081-Introduced.html
House File 2081 - Introduced HOUSE FILE BY BEST A BILL FOR 1 An Act relating to school district transportation assistance 2 aid, making appropriations, and including effective date and 3 applicability provisions. 4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: TLSB 5070YH (2) 86 md/sc PAG LIN 1 1 Section 1. Section 257.31, subsection 17, paragraphs a and 1 2 d, Code 2016, are amended to read as follows: 1 3 a. If a school district's average transportation costs per 1 4 pupil exceed the state average transportation costs per pupil 1 5 determined under paragraph "c"by one hundred fifty percent, the 1 6 committeemayshall grant transportation assistance aid to the 1 7 district if the district meets the requirements of paragraph 1 8 "b". Such aid shall be miscellaneous income and shall not be 1 9 included in district cost. 1 10 d.(1) For each fiscal year beginning on or after July 1 11 1, 2016, there is appropriated from the general fund of the 1 12 state to the committee an amount necessary, less the amount 1 13 transferred to the committee under subparagraph (2), to 1 14 provide transportation assistance aid in the amount determined 1 15 under subparagraph (3) for each school district with average 1 16 transportation costs per pupil that exceed the state average 1 17 transportation costs per pupil determined under paragraph "c". 1 18 (2) Funds transferred to the committee in accordance with 1 19 section 321.34, subsection 22, are appropriated to and may be 1 20 expended for the purposes of the committee, as described in 1 21 thissectionsubsection.However, highest priority shall be 1 22 given to districts that meet the conditions described in this 1 23 subsection. Notwithstanding any other provision of the Code, 1 24 unencumbered or unobligated funds transferred to the committee 1 25 pursuant to section 321.34, subsection 22, remaining on June 1 26 30 of the fiscal year for which the funds were transferred, 1 27 shall not revert but shall be available for expenditure for the 1 28 purposes of this subsection in subsequent fiscal years.1 29 (3) For fiscal years beginning on or after July 1, 2016, 1 30 the amount of transportation assistance aid for each district 1 31 eligible under this subsection shall be equal to the district's 1 32 actual enrollment used to calculate the district's average 1 33 transportation costs per pupil under paragraph "c", multiplied 1 34 by the difference between the district's average transportation 1 35 costs per pupil and the state average transportation costs per 2 1 pupil, as those amounts are determined under paragraph "c". 2 2 Sec. 2. EFFECTIVE UPON ENACTMENT. This Act, being deemed of 2 3 immediate importance, takes effect upon enactment. 2 4 Sec. 3. APPLICABILITY. This Act applies to school budget 2 5 years beginning on or after July 1, 2016. 2 6 EXPLANATION 2 7 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 2 8 the explanation's substance by the members of the general assembly. 2 9 Current Code section 257.31(17) authorizes the school budget 2 10 review committee to grant transportation assistance aid to 2 11 a school district if the district's average transportation 2 12 costs per pupil exceed the state average transportation costs 2 13 per pupil by 150 percent and if the district meets certain 2 14 data reporting requirements. Currently, the funding for such 2 15 transportation assistance aid comes from a transfer of fees 2 16 collected from the issuance of certain education license plates 2 17 under Code section 321.32(34) and is considered miscellaneous 2 18 income and is not included in district cost. 2 19 Under this bill, if a school district's average 2 20 transportation costs per pupil exceed the state average 2 21 transportation costs per pupil and the district meets certain 2 22 data reporting requirements, the school budget review committee 2 23 is required to grant transportation assistance aid to the 2 24 district. For fiscal years beginning on or after July 1, 2 25 2016, the amount of transportation assistance aid for each 2 26 district eligible under the bill is equal to the district's 2 27 actual enrollment used to calculate the district's average 2 28 transportation costs multiplied by the remainder of the 2 29 district's average transportation costs per pupil that exceeds 2 30 the state average transportation costs per pupil. 2 31 For each fiscal year beginning on or after July 1, 2016, 2 32 the bill appropriates to the school budget review committee 2 33 from the general fund of the state an amount necessary, less 2 34 the amount transferred to the committee from the collection 2 35 of education license plate fees, to provide transportation 3 1 assistance aid in the amount determined under the bill. The 3 2 bill also strikes a provision prohibiting the reversion of the 3 3 license plate fees appropriated to the school budget review 3 4 committee for the purposes of transportation assistance aid. 3 5 The bill takes effect upon enactment and applies to school 3 6 budget years beginning on or after July 1, 2016. LSB 5070YH (2) 86 md/sc