Creating a vacant school building demolition grant program and fund and making appropriations

The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly. This bill creates a vacant school building demolition grant program to be administered by the economic development authority for the demolition of vacant buildings owned by a political subdivision of this state or proposed to be acquired by a political subdivision of this state that became vacant before January 1, 2021, and were at any time previously used as school attendance centers or school administration buildings, but which are no longer used for any political subdivision purpose. The bill creates a vacant school building demolition grant fund in the state treasury under the control of the authority. The fund shall consist of moneys appropriated to the authority and any other moneys that are lawfully available to the authority. The bill appropriates from the rebuild Iowa infrastructure fund for deposit in the vacant school building demolition grant fund, for each fiscal year beginning on or after July 1, 2023, but on or before July 1, 2025, $2 million. Interest or earnings on moneys deposited in the vacant school building demolition grant fund shall be credited to the vacant school building demolition grant fund and moneys credited to the vacant school building demolition grant fund shall not revert at the close of a fiscal year. If, however, the authority receives no qualifying applications for three consecutive years, the moneys in the vacant school building demolition grant fund shall be transferred for deposit in the rebuild Iowa infrastructure fund. The authority is required to provide grants using a competitive scoring process. The authority shall prioritize grant applications from political subdivisions with the lowest populations as compared to other grant applicants. A grant shall only be approved if the eligible building is located in a city or township with a population of less than 2,500, and the applicant is either a county with a population that is among the lowest populated counties in the state or is a political subdivision that is located in whole or in part in such a county. The authority is also required to coordinate with each political subdivision to develop a plan for the use of grant funds that is consistent with the community development, housing, or economic development goals of the political subdivision and to ensure that the condition and use of the property following demolition is consistent with the property’s surroundings. The political subdivision shall not be required to sell the property after demolition as a condition of the grant. However, if the property is sold by the political subdivision following demolition, proceeds from sale of the property, following subtraction of the political subdivision’s costs related to the demolition, including costs to acquire the property if applicable, shall be paid to the authority for deposit in the vacant school building demolition grant fund. Under the bill, the authority may use not more than percent of the moneys in the fund at the beginning of the fiscal year for purposes of administrative costs, finance, compliance, marketing, and program support. The authority is required to submit a report to the general assembly and the governor’s office on or before January of each year, describing the results of the program implemented pursuant to this section and making recommendations for additional program changes.