March 24, 2021 Senate Staff Blog, Votes, Ways & Means Committee 0
![Way-Means-Comm](https://i2.wp.com/www.senate.iowa.gov/democrats/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Way-Means-Comm.jpg?resize=678%2C381&ssl=1)
SF 578– IDALS department bill
SF 578 makes various changes to the operations of the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship (IDALS).
Many of these issues were introduced and debated last session:
HF 368 – Administration of rent reimbursement program
HF 368 would transfer the administration of the rent reimbursement program from the Department of Revenue (IDR) to the Department of Human Services (DHS). The rent reimbursement program provides support to elderly and low-income taxpayers for rent costs associated with property taxes. This mirrors the elderly and disabled property tax credit program that is available for individuals who own their homes.
The current program requires taxpayers to apply to IDR and is administered out of the department’s offices in the Hoover Building in Des Moines. Moving the program to DHS would allow the program to be administered out of their local offices in counties around the state, increasing accessibility for eligible taxpayers. The bill does not provide any additional funding to DHS to administer the program. [3/22: 48-0 (Absent: Kinney, Nunn]