216A.140 Iowa collaboration for youth development council — state of Iowa youth advisory council.

1. Definitions. For the purposes of this section, unless the context otherwise requires:

a. “Youth” means children and young persons who are ages six through twenty-one years.

b. “Youth advisory council” means the state of Iowa youth advisory council created by this section.

c. “Youth development council” means the Iowa collaboration for youth development council created by this section.

2. Collaboration council created. An Iowa collaboration for youth development council is created as an alliance of state agencies that address the needs of youth in Iowa.

3. Purpose. The purpose of the youth development council is to improve the lives and futures of Iowa’s youth by doing all of the following:

a. Adopting and applying positive youth development principles and practices at the state and local levels.

b. Increasing the quality, efficiency, and effectiveness of opportunities and services and other supports for youth.

c. Improving and coordinating state youth policy and programs across state agencies.

4. Vision statement. All youth development activities addressed by the youth development council shall be aligned around the following vision statement: “All Iowa youth will be safe, healthy, successful, and prepared for adulthood.”

5. Membership. The youth development council membership shall be determined by the council itself and shall include the directors or chief administrators, or their designees, from the following state agencies and programs:

a. Child advocacy board.

b. Iowa commission on volunteer service in the office of the governor.

c. Department of education.

d. Department of human rights.

e. Department of human services.

f. Department of public health.

g. Department of workforce development.

h. Governor’s office of drug control policy.

i. Iowa cooperative extension service in agriculture and home economics.

j. Early childhood Iowa office in the department of management.

6. Procedure. Except as otherwise provided by law, the youth development council shall determine its own rules of procedure and operating policies, including but not limited to terms of members. The youth development council may form committees or subgroups as necessary to achieve its purpose.

7. Duties. The youth development council’s duties shall include but are not limited to all of the following:

a. Study, explore, and plan for the best approach to structure and formalize the functions and activities of the youth development council to meet its purpose, and make formal recommendations for improvement to the governor and general assembly.

b. Review indicator data and identify barriers to youth success and develop strategies to address the barriers.

c. Coordinate across agencies the state policy priorities for youth.

d. Strengthen partnerships with the nonprofit and private sectors to gather input, build consensus, and maximize use of existing resources and leverage new resources to improve the lives of youth and their families.

e. Oversee the activities of the youth advisory council.

f. Seek input from and engage the youth advisory council in the development of more effective policies, practices, and programs to improve the lives and futures of youth.

g. Report annually by February 1 to the governor and general assembly.

8. State of Iowa youth advisory council. A state of Iowa youth advisory council is created to provide input to the governor, general assembly, and state and local policymakers on youth issues.

a. The purpose of the youth advisory council is to foster communication among a group of engaged youth and the governor, general assembly, and state and local policymakers regarding programs, policies, and practices affecting youth and families; and to advocate for youth on important issues affecting youth.

b. The youth advisory council shall consist of no more than twenty-one youth ages fourteen through twenty years who reside in Iowa. Membership shall be for two-year staggered terms. The department director, or the director’s designee, shall select council members using an application process. The department director or the director’s designee shall strive to maintain a diverse council membership and shall take into consideration race, ethnicity, disabilities, gender, and geographic location of residence of the applicants.

c. Except as otherwise provided by law, the youth advisory council shall determine its own rules of procedure and operating policies, subject to approval by the department director or the director’s designee.

d. The youth advisory council shall meet at least quarterly.

9. Lead agency. The lead agency for support of the Iowa collaboration for youth development council and the state of Iowa youth advisory council is the department. The department shall coordinate activities and, with funding made available to it for such purposes, provide staff support for the youth development council and the youth advisory council.

2009 Acts, ch 53, §1; 2009 Acts, ch 179, §35; 2010 Acts, ch 1031, §295