ARC 0354D

ARC 0354D

VOLUNTEER SERVICE, IOWA COMMISSION ON[817]

Notice of Intended Action

Proposing rulemaking related to the Iowa national service corps
program and providing an opportunity for public comment

    The Iowa Commission on Volunteer Service hereby proposes to rescind Chapter 14, “Iowa National Service Corps Program,” Iowa Administrative Code, and to adopt a new Chapter 14 with the same title.

Legal Authority for Rulemaking

    This rulemaking is proposed under the authority provided in Iowa Code chapter 15H.

State or Federal Law Implemented

    This rulemaking implements, in whole or in part, Iowa Code chapter 15H and Executive Order 10.

Purpose and Summary

    This proposed chapter and the other chapters under the purview of the Commission underwent a Red Tape Review pursuant to Executive Order 10. As part of this review, the Commission took the opportunity to combine related chapters into this one overarching chapter describing national service programs. 817—Chapters 9 through 12 have been incorporated into Chapter 14. 817—Chapters 9 through 12 will concurrently be rescinded (ARC 0352D, IAB 6/10/26).

    The Commission certifies national service programs that meet the standards established in Iowa Code section 15H.9. The Commission also provides training, resources, and support services to Iowa National Service Corps programs.

Regulatory Analysis

    A Regulatory Analysis for this rulemaking was published in the Iowa Administrative Bulletin on April 29, 2026. A public hearing was held on the following date(s):

     ?   May 19, 2026

Fiscal Impact

     This rulemaking has no fiscal impact to the State of Iowa.

Jobs Impact

    After analysis and review of this rulemaking, no impact on jobs has been found.

Waivers

    Any person who believes that the application of the discretionary provisions of this rulemaking would result in hardship or injustice to that person may petition the Department of Health and Human Services for a waiver of the discretionary provisions, if any, pursuant to 441—Chapter 2504.

Public Comment

     Any interested person may submit written or oral comments concerning this proposed rulemaking, which must be received by the Department no later than 4:30 p.m. on June 30, 2026. Comments should be directed to:

Public Hearing

     Public hearings at which persons may present their views orally or in writing will be held as follows:

    Persons who wish to make oral comments at a public hearing may be asked to state their names for the record and to confine their remarks to the subject of this proposed rulemaking.

     Any persons who intend to attend a public hearing and have special requirements, such as those related to hearing or mobility impairments, should contact the Department and advise of specific needs.

Review by Administrative Rules Review Committee

    The Administrative Rules Review Committee, a bipartisan legislative committee which oversees rulemaking by executive branch agencies, may, on its own motion or on written request by any individual or group, review this rulemaking at its regular monthly meeting or at a special meeting. The Committee’s meetings are open to the public, and interested persons may be heard as provided in Iowa Code section 17A.8(6).

    The following rulemaking action is proposed:

    ITEM 1.  Rescind 817—Chapter 14 and adopt the following new chapter in lieu thereof:

CHAPTER 14

IOWA NATIONAL SERVICE CORPS PROGRAM

817—14.1(15H) Definitions. For purposes of this chapter, unless the context otherwise requires:

    “Approval” means the process for identifying service programs as meeting the criteria to become eligible for Iowa national service corps program benefits and technical assistance.

    “Commission” means the Iowa commission on volunteer service.

    “Host site” means the physical location where an Iowa national service corps member is based for the period of service in the Iowa national service corps program. The sponsoring organization may be the host site.

    “Iowa national service corps approval application” means the application used to determine an applicant’s designation as an approved Iowa national service program. The application contains information that can be used to determine an applicant’s designation as an approved Iowa national service corps program.

    “Iowa national service corps member” or “corps member” means a participant in an approved Iowa national service corps program.

    “Iowa national service corps program” or “national service corps program” means a program that provides meaningful service opportunities to individuals, provided that the program meets the following requirements:

    1.   The program is approved via the automatic approval, reciprocal approval, or regular approval process.

    2.   The program is located in this state or has sites operating in the state.

    3.   The program is operated by one of the following entities: a state agency; a political subdivision of the state; or a private, nonprofit organization. State agencies or political subdivisions of the state may establish Iowa national service corps programs or contract with a third-party vendor to assist the agency or political subdivision in establishing such programs.

    4.   The program is developed to meet state and local needs and to provide more opportunities for Iowans to serve their state and country and foster a cultural expectation of service in Iowa through a unified service corps.

    “Sponsoring organization” means the entity operating the Iowa national service corps program that is responsible for submitting the Iowa national service corps approval application and meeting requirements for approved programs.

817—14.2(15H) Approval. Before a national service corps program can access the benefits of the Iowa national service corps, it must be approved by the commission.

    14.2(1) Automatic approval. Existing programs and service positions in the following categories are automatically approved:

    a.  AmeriCorps programs in Iowa created pursuant to 42 U.S.C. §12501,

    b.  Senior Corps and AmeriCorps VISTA in Iowa created pursuant to 42 U.S.C. §4950 et seq.,

    c.  The Iowa summer youth corps program created pursuant to Iowa Code section 15H.5,

    d.  The Iowa green corps program created pursuant to Iowa Code section 15H.6,

    e.  The Iowa reading corps program created pursuant to Iowa Code section 15H.7, and

    f.  The RefugeeRISE AmeriCorps program created pursuant to Iowa Code section 15H.8.

    14.2(2) Reciprocal approval. Existing programs and service positions recognized by another service year certifying body may request reciprocal approval by following the process outlined on the commission’s website.

    14.2(3) Regular approval. All other entities seeking approval for their service programs or positions should follow the regular approval process by completing an Iowa national service corps approval application.

    a.  Applications for national service corps program approval are available from the commission’s website.

    b.  A review team designated by the commission will review applications from national service corps programs to determine whether the national service corps programs or positions are eligible to participate in the program.

    c.  Applicants will receive written notification of the commission’s decision. Written notification will also be provided regarding the due dates and process for submission of program reports.

    d.  Full approval means the commission has determined that the national service corps program has met the established standards.

    e.  Conditional approval means the commission has temporarily approved the national service corps program before the program becomes fully operational or before the program has met the standards for full approval.

    f.  Any program that is denied approval or decertified for any reason bears the burden of proving that all deficiencies previously cited have been corrected. Corrections shall be in accordance with the requirements of the commission.

    14.2(4) Documentation. Additional documentation may be required to verify elements of the application. Documentation verifying a program’s compliance with approval standards may be required by the commission during the approval process. Each program shall provide relevant information upon the commission’s request in order to be considered for approval. National service corps programs may be requested to provide documentation of continued eligibility at any time during and after approval.

    14.2(5) Duration of approval.

    a.  Automatic approval will be in effect as long as the program is recognized as one of the automatically approved programs listed in subrule 14.2(1).

    b.  Reciprocal approval will be in effect as long as the program is recognized by the other certifying body.

    c.  Regular approval.

    (1)  Full approval may be in effect for three years as long as the program continues to meet the approval standards.

    (2)  Conditional approval may be in effect for six months and may be used for the purpose of applying for program benefits and technical assistance available to approved national service corps programs. The commission may grant an extension of conditional approval if it is determined that significant progress is being made toward meeting the requirements for full approval. It shall be the responsibility of the national service corps program to notify the commission when the program believes it has met the full approval criteria.

    (3)  A national service corps program may renew its approval. Programs whose full approval has expired should reapply using the application form available on the commission’s website.

817—14.3(15H) Approval standards. The commission has established standards to certify national service corps programs. These standards are based on a combination of factors established by the Corporation for National and Community Service, the Service Year Alliance, and the existing rules for:

    1.   The Iowa summer youth corps program created pursuant to Iowa Code section 15H.5,

    2.   The Iowa green corps program created pursuant to Iowa Code section 15H.6,

    3.   The Iowa reading corps program created pursuant to Iowa Code section 15H.7, and

    4.   The RefugeeRISE AmeriCorps program created pursuant to Iowa Code section 15H.8.

    14.3(1) Program design. The national service corps program should have a program design defining the impact the program will have on the community, sponsor organization, and service corps members. The program design must identify how the national service program will address a state or local need and how the program will promote a sense of civic engagement in program participants.

    14.3(2) Corps member position description. The national service corps program shall have written descriptions or plans for high-quality service activities. National service corps member activities must be clearly delineated from those of employees of the sponsoring organization and host site.

    14.3(3) Orientation. The national service corps program shall have an orientation for national service corps members, including clarification on how the member service activities differ from employee responsibilities.

    14.3(4) Eligibility. The national service corps program shall have eligibility screening for national service corps members commensurate to the service activities to be conducted and the population to be served. National service corps programs shall set and meet minimum requirements for checking the criminal history of national service corps member applicants and considering the following results when selecting corps members:

    a.  Criminal background and sex offender registry checks for corps members over the age of 18.

    b.  Reference checks for corps members under the age of 18.

    14.3(5) Training and professional development. The national service corps program shall provide ongoing training and professional development to the national service corps members.

    14.3(6) Member supervision. The national service corps program shall demonstrate the ability to effectively supervise the national service corps members.

    14.3(7) Certification of member service. Upon successful completion of the term of service by the Iowa national service corps member, the sponsor organization shall issue a certification of service letter to the corps member. The letter should include, at a minimum, the name of the corps member, whether the corps member served in a full-time capacity or less than full-time capacity, the dates of service (if the corps member served in a full-time capacity) or the hours of service (if the corps member served in a less than full-time capacity), the name of the sponsor organization, and a contact person at the sponsor organization.

    14.3(8) Compliance process. The national service corps program shall have a process for ensuring compliance with program standards.

    14.3(9) Program impact. The national service corps program should have a method for tracking progress toward the established goals of the program.

    14.3(10) Organizational capacity. The sponsoring organization shall have an established history and demonstrate the staff capacity and experience to effectively oversee the national service corps program.

    14.3(11) Financial capacity, cost effectiveness and budget adequacy. The sponsoring organization should demonstrate the financial capacity to administer the national service corps program, including any living allowances or stipends provided to national service corps members. The national service corps program budget should be sufficient to provide the national service corps member(s) with the tools needed to be effective in the assigned tasks.

    14.3(12) Risk management. The national service corps program should practice appropriate risk management strategies for the approved national service corps positions.

817—14.4(15H) Application process.

    14.4(1) Sponsor organization approval process. Eligible organizations may request approval using the application materials available through the commission’s website.

    14.4(2) Iowa national service corps member process. Prospective national service corps members should apply directly to an approved Iowa national service corps program. Prospective corps members must meet the approved program’s eligibility requirements and agree to the program standards.

    14.4(3) Applications. Appropriate forms and applications for grants and eligibility preapproval are available from the commission’s website.

817—14.5(15H) Special consideration. In addition to the standards set forth in rule 817—14.3(15H), the commission may consider other factors to determine approval status to ensure that only high-quality national service corps programs are approved.

    14.5(1) On-site audits. At the discretion of the commission, on-site audits may be conducted to determine approval.

    14.5(2) Reporting. Programs that fail to submit required documentation are at risk of decertification and may be deemed ineligible to receive the benefits of approval, including complimentary training registration and inclusion on the commission’s website.

817—14.6(15H) Decertification. A national service corps program will be decertified by the commission if it is determined that the program no longer meets the approval standards identified herein for a high-quality national service corps program if program personnel cannot be contacted by the commission, if the program fails to provide documents requested by the commission or if the program fails to complete any required Iowa national service corps annual report.

    14.6(1) Written notice of the intent to revoke approval will be provided to a national service corps program when the commission determines that there is reasonable cause to believe the program does not comply with these rules. Notice will be sent at least 30 days before decertification becomes effective.

    14.6(2) Decertification procedures may be initiated by the commission, by the program, or following investigation of a complaint filed by the general public. A request for an investigation from the public must be in written form and shall specify the reason(s) why the approved national service corps program no longer meets the approval standards. Supporting documentation may be attached to the request. The identity of the complainant is confidential pursuant to Iowa Code section 22.7(18).

    14.6(3) Benefits and designation as an approved national service corps program will continue until the final decision is issued by the commission.

817—14.7(15H) Fraudulent practices in connection with approved national service corps programs. A person is considered to be guilty of a fraudulent practice if the person knowingly falsifies information on an application for the purpose of obtaining approval and any other potential benefits, including those offered through the commission or other state contracts and grants available only to approved national service corps programs. The commission may investigate allegations or complaints of fraudulent practices and will take action to decertify a national service corps program upon concluding that a violation has occurred. A violation under this rule is grounds for decertification of the national service corps program responsible for the violation. Decertification will be in addition to any penalty otherwise authorized.

817—14.8(15H) Appeal procedure. Commission decisions regarding approved national service corps programs may be contested by an adversely affected party as detailed in 817—Chapter 5.

817—14.9(15H) Intergovernmental agreements. Approved Iowa national service corps programs are considered governmental entities in accordance with rule 11—118.4(8A). As such, state agencies or political subdivisions of the state may enter into an agreement for services with any approved Iowa national service corps program directly or through an agreement with the commission and are not required to use competitive selection.

817—14.10(15H) Program administration. State agencies or political subdivisions of the state may establish Iowa national service corps programs or contract with a third-party vendor to assist the agency or political subdivision in establishing such programs. In the case that a vendor is utilized, the program is still considered a governmental entity for the purposes of intergovernmental agreements pursuant to rule 11—118.4(8A).

817—14.11(15H) Funding priority. State agencies or political subdivisions of the state may give priority to grants or projects funded that utilize Iowa national service corps programs.

817—14.12(15H) Hiring preferences.

    14.12(1) State agencies or political subdivisions of the state may establish hiring preferences for any Iowa national service corps or AmeriCorps participant who has successfully completed a year of full-time service or 1,700 hours over a period extending beyond a year.

    14.12(2) Iowa national service corps members may request a letter verifying their eligibility for a hiring preference from the program in which they served or agencies may independently verify upon application.

817—14.13(15H) Participant employment status. A person participating in the Iowa national service corps program is not an employee of the organization in which the person is enrolled regardless of whether a stipend is provided; shall be exempt from the merit system requirements of Iowa Code chapter 8A, subchapter IV; and is not eligible to receive unemployment compensation benefits under Iowa Code chapter 96 upon completion of service.

817—14.14(15H) Information specific to the Iowa summer youth corps program.

    14.14(1) Incentives. Incentives will be determined by federal funding guidelines or restrictions, depending on the source of funds utilized for the Iowa summer youth corps in a given grant year. Types of incentives may include:

    a.  Education awards that may be used to further educational attainment and that may be earned upon completion of a defined number of hours;

    b.  Living allowances that are not considered wages but are paid evenly over the course of a service period; or

    c.  Wages that are based upon the hours worked.

Types of incentives or combinations of incentives that may be used for a program design will be described in the application instructions.

    14.14(2) Grant criteria. To respond to funding priorities, as funds are made available, the executive director of the commission will establish criteria consistent with federal regulations. If federal funds are being offered, applicants will be considered on a competitive basis. At a minimum, the criteria will contain the following:

    a.  Goals and objectives of the project;

    b.  Qualifications of the applicant to manage funds;

    c.  For new and recompeting applicants, letters of local support verifying coordination and communitywide cooperation;

    d.  Total project budget;

    e.  For previous grantees, evidence of ability to submit timely and accurate reports;

    f.  Description and timeline of planned activities;

    g.  Agreement to develop for the project a community partnership group whose membership should include a cross-section of the community served;

    h.  Description of the applicant organization, including staffing pattern; and

    i.  Documentation of the applicant’s ability to provide the required local match.

    14.14(3) Application process for new grants.

    a.  The commission shall issue a request for applications containing project criteria and application forms for the appropriate fiscal year.

    b.  The applicant shall submit the completed application to the commission according to the timeline identified in the request for applications.

    c.  Applications submitted will be reviewed by a grant review committee composed of members of the commission grant review committee, individuals with expertise in youth programming, and the citizens of Iowa. Using the criteria in subrule 14.14(2), the committee will review the applications for appropriateness and to determine the merit of the project.

    d.  Applicants whose projects have been selected for funding will be notified by the commission.

    14.14(4) Administration of grants.

    a.  Contracts. The commission shall prepare contractual agreements for the grants.

    b.  Reporting. All grant recipients shall submit progress and financial reports to the commission as outlined in the contract.

    c.  Availability of funds. Separate request for applications will only be issued when there are funds available for this program. To the extent allowable by federal regulations, summer youth corps will always be an acceptable program model for annual AmeriCorps grants and will be listed in the annual AmeriCorps program request for applications.

817—14.15(15H) Information specific to the Iowa green corps program.

    14.15(1) Incentives. Incentives will be determined by federal funding guidelines or restrictions, depending on the source of funds utilized for the Iowa green corps in a given grant year. Types of incentives or combinations of incentives that may be used for a program design will be described in the application instructions.

    14.15(2) Grant criteria. To respond to funding priorities, as funds are made available, the executive director of the commission will establish criteria consistent with federal regulations. If federal funds are being offered, applicants will be considered on a competitive basis.

    14.15(3) Designated funds. A percentage of the grants may be designated by the commission to address capacity-building activities that target communities that are already working with existing community improvement programs, including but not limited to the green streets and main street Iowa programs administered by the Iowa economic development authority, and disaster remediation activities by communities located within an area declared to be a disaster area by the President of the United States or the governor of the state of Iowa.

    14.15(4) Application process for new grants.

    a.  The commission will issue a request for applications containing project criteria and application forms for the applicable fiscal year.

    b.  The applicant shall submit the completed application to the commission according to the timeline identified in the request for applications.

    c.  Applications submitted will be reviewed by a grant review committee, which is composed of members of the commission grant review committee, individuals with expertise in youth programming, and the citizens of Iowa. Using the criteria in subrule 14.15(2), the committee will review the applications for appropriateness and to determine the merit of the project.

    14.15(5) Administration of grants.

    a.  Contracts. The commission will prepare contractual agreements for the grants.

    b.  Reporting. All grant recipients shall submit progress and financial reports to the commission.

    c.  Availability of funds. Separate requests for applications will only be issued when there are available funds for this program. To the extent allowable by federal regulations, Iowa green corps will always be an acceptable program model for annual AmeriCorps grants and will be listed in the annual AmeriCorps program request for applications.

    d.  Notification. Applicants whose projects have been selected for funding will be notified by the commission.

817—14.16(15H) Information specific to the Iowa reading corps program.

    14.16(1) Program eligibility criteria. The commission and department of education will establish criteria consistent with federal regulations to ensure the alignment of the program with the goals outlined in Iowa Code section 256.9(49)“c” and 281—Chapter 62. Any program determined eligible for inclusion as an Iowa reading corps program must ensure that it meets standards outlined by the department of education in 281—Chapter 62. All applicants must be preapproved by the department of education as eligible to compete for Iowa reading corps grants.

    14.16(2) Grant criteria. The commission will establish criteria and funding priorities consistent with federal regulations and the goals of the department of education and the commission. Preapproval of applicant eligibility shall be sought as outlined in subrule 14.16(1). Applicants will be considered either in conjunction with the regular AmeriCorps grant process or, in certain cases, through special competitions outlined and announced by the commission.

    14.16(3) Designated funds. A percentage of grant funding may be designated by the commission to address specific underserved or high-need geographic areas or schools. In advance of the competition, the commission may also set a minimum amount available for Iowa reading corps grants financed with state, federal and private funds, as well as any minimum or maximum funding amounts for individual applicants based on program need and the service territory of the communities described and, if applicable, past performance of use of funds. The commission may also give priority to programs that serve underserved or high-need areas or schools.

    14.16(4) Application process for new grants.

    a.  Request for application. The commission shall issue a request for applications, which shall include program criteria and application forms for the applicable fiscal year.

    b.  Application time frame. The applicant shall submit the completed application to the commission according to the timeline identified in the request for application.

    c.  Application review process. Applications will be reviewed by a grant review committee, which is composed of members of the commission grant review committee, individuals with expertise in youth programming, and citizens of Iowa. The committee will review the applications based on the appropriateness and merit of the projects.

    d.  Notification. Applicants whose projects have been selected for funding shall be notified by the commission.

    14.16(5) Administration of grants—contracts. The commission will prepare contractual agreements for the grants.

    a.  Reporting. All grant recipients shall submit progress and financial reports to the commission.

    b.  Availability of funds. A separate request for applications will be issued only when there are available funds for this program. To the extent allowable by federal regulations, Iowa reading corps will always be an acceptable program model for annual AmeriCorps grants and will be listed in the annual AmeriCorps program request for applications.

817—14.17(15H) Information specific to the RefugeeRISE AmeriCorps program.

    14.17(1) Program eligibility criteria. The commission and department of health and human services will establish criteria consistent with state-level needs and federal program requirements. Any program deemed eligible for inclusion as a RefugeeRISE AmeriCorps program must meet the standards outlined by the commission and the department in the application instructions. All applicants that wish to be considered as RefugeeRISE AmeriCorps programs shall be considered as part of the AmeriCorps grant process.

    14.17(2) Grant criteria. The commission will establish grant criteria and funding priorities consistent with federal regulations and with commission and department of health and human services goals. Applicants will be considered either in conjunction with the RefugeeRISE AmeriCorps grant process or, in certain cases, through special competitions outlined and announced by the commission.

    14.17(3) Application process for new grants.

    a.  Request for applications. The commission will issue a request for applications containing program criteria and application forms for the applicable fiscal year.

    b.  Application time frame. The applicant shall submit the completed application to the commission according to the timeline identified in the request for applications.

    c.  Application review process. Applications submitted will be reviewed by a grant review committee that is composed of members of the commission, individuals with expertise in youth programming, and citizens of Iowa. Using the criteria in subrule 14.17(2), the committee will review the applications to determine the appropriateness and the merit of the project.

    d.  Notification. Applicants whose projects have been selected for funding will be notified by the commission.

817—14.18(15H) Reversion of funds. Grant funds awarded under this chapter that are not expended by the specified project closeout date shall revert to the commission and to the community programs account established pursuant to Iowa Code section 15H.5, as applicable.

These rules are intended to implement Iowa Code chapter 15H.