आयोवा विधान अद्यावधिक - फेब्रुअरी ११, २०२०

आयोवाको पानी र भूमि विरासत (IWILL) को लागि कोष

सिनेट अध्ययन विधेयक (SSB) 3116 (का लागि): A bill for an act relating to state and local revenue and finances, including modifying individual income taxes, sales and use taxes, water service tax, and certain tax credits and provisions relating to county juvenile court expenses and mental health region funding, making appropriations, and including effective date and applicability provisions.

During her Condition of the State Address on Jan. 14, Gov. Kim Reynolds announced एक प्रतिशत बिक्री कर वृद्धिको उनको योजना as part of her Invest in Iowa proposal to the Legislature. This one-cent increase includes the necessary three-eights of one cent increase to fund the प्राकृतिक स्रोत र बाहिरी मनोरञ्जन ट्रस्ट, वा म गर्नेछु। यहाँ क्लिक गर्नुहोस् to review our analysis. For the first time since her announcement, we have bill language to review. Last week, SSB 3116 was assigned to the Senate Ways and Means Committee. 

As noted in previous updates, we have been advocating for the investment of IWILL dollars in Watershed Management Authorities (WMAs). We worked alongside staff in the governor’s office to develop a program that would make funding available to WMAs to help cover the expenses of employing a watershed coordinator at the local level. This change appears in SSB 3116 as the newly-created Local Conservation Partnerships Program. For the first time, this program will include WMAs as an eligible entity to receive funds from the Local Conservation Partnerships Account in IWILL. In the coming weeks, we will continue to advocate for increases in funding to this account. You can expect more information from us on this bill in the coming weeks, but I encourage you to reach out sooner if there are questions you have.

सिनेट फाइल (SF) 2047 (का लागि): An Act relating to the property tax exemption for property designated to be a native prairie or wetland and including effective date and retroactive applicability provisions.

Current Code section 427.1(23) provides a property tax exemption for land designated as native prairie or land designated as a protected wetland by the Department of Natural Resources if the property is not used for economic gain. This bill specifies that the receipt of payments under the federal wetlands reserve program or the federal agricultural conservation easement program shall not be considered a use for economic gain.
Update: On Jan. 27  this bill was assigned to a subcommittee consisting of Sens. Brown, Behn, and Giddens.

SF २ (का लागि): An Act concerning federal financial assistance funding for hazard mitigation. (Successor to SSB 3057)

This bill would allow the state to help provide funds to supplement federal hazard mitigation dollars.  Up to 10 percent would be eligible if granted under the federal Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act or the federal National Flood Insurance Reform Act of 1994. Under this bill, the state cannot exceed 50 percent of the total project cost. The local community must have a state-approved comprehensive emergency plan. We are also registered in support of this bill’s companion in the House, House Study Bill (HSB) 625.
Update: This bill, formerly SSB 3057, was approved by the Senate Committee on State Government and renumbered as SF 2188.

हाउस स्टडी बिल (HSB) 619 (का लागि): An Act relating to the establishment of a disaster recovery homeowner assistance program and fund administered by the Iowa finance authority, transfers of moneys to certain funds,and including effective date provisions.
 
Under the newly created program, this bill codifies that eligible expenses would include repair or rehabilitation of the disaster-affected home, or for down payment assistance on the purchase of replacement housing outside of a 100-year floodplain, and the cost of reasonable repairs to be performed on the replacement housing to render it decent, safe, sanitary, and in good repair. 
Update: This bill has been scheduled for a subcommittee meeting on Feb. 12 at 11:15 a.m. in the House Lounge with Reps. Jacobsen, Bossman and Nielsen.

हाउस फाइल (HF) 2111 (अनिश्चित): माटो तथा जल संरक्षण जिल्लाका आयुक्तहरूको अधिकार प्रदान गर्ने ऐन।

This bill amends provisions authorizing commissioners to exercise a number of powers, subject to certain limitations, including to conduct surveys, investigations, research activities, and demonstration projects. The bill provides that commissioners must also act to conserve or enhance soil health and water resources, and reduce the effects of flooding. This bill also makes changes into required partnerships Soil and Water Conservation Districts must make with Iowa State University.

HF १०० (का लागि): सौर्य ऊर्जा प्रणाली कर क्रेडिट सम्बन्धी ऐन, र लागू हुने प्रावधानहरू समावेश गर्दै।

यो विधेयकले आवेदकहरूले वार्षिक रूपमा दाबी गर्न योग्य सौर्य ऊर्जा प्रणाली कर क्रेडिटको अधिकतम संचयी मूल्य $५ मिलियनबाट $१० मिलियनमा बढाउँछ। हामी यस विधेयकलाई अगाडि बढाउन र क्रेडिटलाई अझ विस्तार गर्न हाम्रा साझेदारहरूसँग काम गर्न जारी राख्नेछौं, साथै यो राज्य-स्तरीय सौर्य उत्पादन कर क्रेडिटलाई संघीय कर क्रेडिटबाट अलग गर्ने भाषामा जोड दिनेछौं, जुन २०२० मा क्रमिक रूपमा चरणबद्ध रूपमा सुरु भएको थियो।

HF १०० (विरुद्ध): निजी उत्पादन ग्राहकहरूको लागि विद्युत उपयोगिता दर र पूर्वाधार समर्थन विकल्पहरू सम्बन्धी ऐन।

This bill would add a large annual fee to consumer-generators who own their own solar panels, disincentivizing net metering. Net metering allows farmers to “store” the excess energy they produce on the grid, which helps reduce electricity costs during peak demand hours for their neighbors and provides a cost-cutting strategy for farmers. We are also registered in opposition to SF 583, which is this bill’s predecessor in the Senate.
Update: After we helped defeat the misguided “sunshine tax” last year, we have been part of a coalition of solar advocates who have worked with MidAmerican Energy over the past eight months to find a compromise on solar legislation. A deal has been reached that will help provide consistency, reliability and the opportunity for solar energy to continue to grow in Iowa. The deal is subject to final agreement on amendment language and earning legislative support. Legislation is being drafted as a strike and replace amendment to the bill that was introduced last year. When adopted, the amendment then becomes the bill. 

HSB 540 (का लागि): विद्युत प्रसारण लाइनको निर्माण, स्वामित्व र मर्मतसम्भार सम्बन्धी ऐन।

यो विधेयकले ऊर्जा पूर्वाधार परियोजनाहरूको योजना प्रक्रियाको नेतृत्व गर्ने विकासकर्ताहरूलाई "पहिलो अस्वीकारको अधिकार" प्रदान गरेर प्रसारण लाइन र ग्रिड पूर्वाधारको विकासलाई अगाडि बढाउन मद्दत गर्दछ। नवीकरणीय ऊर्जा विकास विस्तार गर्न प्रसारण पूर्वाधार विकास महत्त्वपूर्ण छ। 
Update: This bill was assigned to a subcommittee consisting of Reps. Carlson, Deyoe and Nielsen.

HF १०० (अनिश्चित): An Act authorizing cities and counties to establish energy investment districts and district boards and providing for financing of energy investments.

This bill authorizes a county or city, or one or more counties and one or more cities within those counties to create an energy investment district to finance energy investment projects for the benefit of property within the district. The bill defines an “energy investment” as  an acquisition, installation, or modification benefitting private property, except residential property with fewer than three residential units, intended to reduce energy consumption or energy costs, or both, or to allow for the use of alternate and renewable energy. 
Update: Referred to the House Commerce Committee.

HF १०० (अनिश्चित): An Act relating to the assessment of wind energy conversion property for certain assessment years and including applicability provisions.

Under current law, cities or county boards of supervisors may adopt a local valuation on wind energy systems. These valuations are set as percentages of the net acquisition cost. This bill increases the percentage of net acquisition cost at which wind energy conversion property is assessed for the seventh and succeeding assessment years from 30 percent to 50 percent. Learn more about this process here.

SSB 3128 (अनिश्चित): An Act relating to the regulation of renewable energy projects and including applicability provisions.

This bill prohibits counties, after July 1, 2020, from adopting or enforcing an ordinance, motion, resolution, or amendment that imposes a limitation or regulation on a renewable energy project, as defined in Code section 476A.1, having a total capacity of at least 25 megawatts of electricity. In sum, it restricts counties from establishing their own regulations for wind and solar projects.

HF १०० (का लागि): सञ्चार सेवा प्रदायकहरूले प्राप्त गरेको व्यक्तिगत र कर्पोरेट राज्य आयकर ब्रॉडब्यान्ड अनुदानको गणनाबाट छुट दिने र प्रभावकारी मिति र पूर्वव्यापी लागू हुने प्रावधानहरू समावेश गर्ने ऐन। 

यो विधेयकले संघीय, राज्य वा स्थानीय ब्रोडब्यान्ड अनुदान प्राप्त गर्ने सञ्चार सेवा प्रदायकलाई आफ्नो व्यक्तिगत वा कर्पोरेट राज्य आयकरको गणनाबाट त्यो अनुदानको कुल रकम बहिष्कार गर्न अनुमति दिन्छ यदि अनुदान लक्षित क्षेत्रहरूमा ब्रोडब्यान्ड पूर्वाधार स्थापना गर्न प्रयोग गरिन्छ जहाँ कुनै पनि प्रदायकले ब्रोडब्यान्ड गति थ्रेसहोल्ड पूरा गर्ने इन्टरनेट सेवा प्रदान गर्दैन। ब्रोडब्यान्ड गतिलाई डाउनलोडको लागि २५ मेगाबाइट प्रति सेकेन्ड (Mbps) र संघीय सञ्चार आयोगद्वारा ३ Mbps अपलोडको रूपमा परिभाषित गरिएको छ। 
Update: This bill was passed by subcommittee and is currently in the House Ways and Means Committee.

SF २ (का लागि): आयोवा फार्म, विद्यालय र समुदायहरूलाई जोड्ने ब्रॉडब्यान्ड अनुदान कार्यक्रम, विनियोजन गर्ने, र प्रभावकारी मिति प्रावधानहरू समावेश गर्ने सम्बन्धी ऐन।

Under current state law, the Office of the Chief Information Officer, which administers the Connecting Iowa Farms, Schools, and Communities Broadband Grant Program, is prohibited from awarding a grant if it exceeds more than 15 percent of the communications service provider’s total project cost. This bill would increase the cap to 25 percent, thus allowing for more state investment in broadband infrastructure. 
Update: This bill was assigned to a subcommittee of Sens. Kraayenbrink, Celsi, and Johnson.

SF २ (अनिश्चित): विषादी प्रशासन र कार्यान्वयन कोष स्थापना गर्ने र विनियोजन गर्ने ऐन।

This legislation would create a Pesticide Administration and Enforcement Fund under Section 206.5A of the Pesticide Act of Iowa for the sole purpose of administering certification courses and enforcing the rules of the act. This fund would collect the $75 fee for a three year commercial pesticide applicator certification and the $15 fee for a three year private/personal pesticide applicators license.

HSB 632 (Undecided): An Act relating to county zoning procedures, and including effective date and applicability provisions.

This bill prohibits a county from requiring an application, approval, or payment of a fee for the exemption to apply to land, farm barns, farm outbuildings, or other buildings or structures that are primarily adopted for use for agricultural purposes. Under the bill, agricultural land, buildings, and structures can qualify for the exemption independently or in combination with other agricultural uses. The bill also specifies that land enrolled in a soil or water conservation program qualifies for the agricultural exemption. 
Update: This bill will be heard in a subcommittee of Reps. Kaufmann, Sexton, Deyoe, Hunter and Mascher 9:30 a.m., Feb. 11, in the House Lounge. The companion bill in the Senate, SSB 3120 was assigned to a subcommittee of Sens. Edler, Hogg, and Kraayenbrink.