ARC 1492C

ARC 1492C

VOLUNTEER SERVICE, IOWA COMMISSION ON[817]

Amended Notice of Intended Action

Pursuant to the authority of Iowa Code chapter 15H and section 17A.3 and Executive Order 48, the Iowa Commission on Volunteer Service hereby gives notice that on April 16, 2014, the Commission approved this Amended Notice of Intended Action for amendments to Chapter 7, "Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP)," Iowa Administrative Code.

Notice of Intended Action was published in the March 19, 2014, Iowa Administrative Bulletin as ARC 1386C. After receiving oral and written comments from interested parties, the Commission decided to alter the language of Items 3 and 4 as it was originally proposed, in order to solicit additional input. There are no proposed changes to Items 1 and 2. Items 3 and 4 are revised to clarify reporting and distribution of funds.

In Item 3, the term "active" was added to better define volunteers, and the requirement to submit a volunteer roster has been removed. Furthermore, the volunteer management training reporting requirements were changed to require that projects report to the Commission the number of attendees and the number of attendees who report that the training increased their relevant knowledge.

In Item 4, the first paragraph was revised to indicate that the base level formula for funding applies to established programs and that a new base level is established each year. The paragraph further clarifies how relinquished and new program funding will be distributed. In the second paragraph, the dollar value of the threshold per volunteer has been removed, as the Commission will set the amount on an annual basis. The word "may" was added to qualify that a program's funds may be reduced if the threshold is not met, and a timeline by which the threshold must be met has been clarified. A clause was added to allow for exceptions due to hardships that may be other than financial in nature.

Public comments concerning the proposed amendments will be accepted until 4:30 p.m.on July 8, 2014. Interested persons may submit written comments by contacting Kristin Honz, Iowa Commission on Volunteer Service, 200 East Grand Avenue, Des Moines, Iowa 50309; or e-mail Kristin.Honz@iowa.gov.

The Commission will hold a public hearing on Tuesday, July 8, 2014, from 1 to 1:30 p.m.to receive comments on these amendments. The public hearing will be held in the Central First Floor Conference Room, Iowa Economic Development Authority, 200 East Grand Avenue, Des Moines, Iowa.

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

These amendments are intended to implement Iowa Code section 15H.2(3)"i."

The following amendments are proposed.

Item 1. Amend subrule 7.1(1) as follows:

7.1(1) RSVP grant. Each RSVP project which has a current memorandum of agreement notice of grant award to operate an RSVP project from the Corporation for National and Community Service (the federal domestic volunteer agency) is to be allocated a share of state funds appropriated for distribution. Each RSVP project shall submit to the commission a budget outlining the method by which the project will expend the grant allotted to the project and other information as requested by the commission.

Item 2. Amend subrule 7.4(1) as follows:

7.4(1) The commission and or the Corporation for National and Community Service shall issue a request for proposals containing project criteria and application forms instructions based on the most recent application instructions or notice of funding opportunity for RSVP that is available from the Corporation for National and Community Service for the appropriate fiscal year.

Item 3. Amend subrule 7.5(3) as follows:

7.5(3) Reporting. All grant recipients shall submit biannual progress and financial reports to the Corporation for National and Community Service and provide these reports to the commission. Beginning in state fiscal year 2015, RSVP projects will report to the commission, with each payment request, on the number of active volunteers serving in the prior period. RSVP projects will also report to the commission on the number of persons provided with volunteer management training and the number of persons who report that the training increased their knowledge of effective volunteer management practices.

Item 4. Amend subrule 7.5(4) as follows:

7.5(4) Distribution of funds. The base-level formula for distribution of funds for established programs will be based on the 2001 prior fiscal year's state funding levels. When applicable, any relinquished funds will be distributed based on the existing the current fiscal year's distribution formula. New programs that are not state-developed will begin at the minimum base funding level for RSVP grants established by the commission.

Beginning in state fiscal year 2016, distribution of state funds will include an established maximum average cost per volunteer as determined by the commission on an annual basis. The maximum cost per volunteer will be set one year in advance. If the commission does not establish a new rate, the prior year's rate remains in effect. The maximum cost per volunteer calculation is based on the number of volunteers divided by the sum of awarded state plus federal funds. Any program that exceeds the maximum cost at the time of the January biannual progress report may have subsequent grant awards reduced to comply with this threshold. Additional funds that are not awarded due to these reductions will be distributed to projects that are below the maximum volunteer cost threshold or will be used to fund expansion of other projects. The commission may grant a temporary exception to the maximum cost threshold for new projects or in the case of financial or other hardship.