आयोवा लेजिस्लेटिभ अपडेट-फेब्रुअरी। २१, २०२३

In the days since our last legislative update, renewable energy legislation has taken center stage in our efforts at the Capitol. We’ve been advocating on behalf of rural Iowans’ ability to take advantage of solar energy while pushing back on other bills to protect private property rights across the state.

हाउस फाइल (HF) 221-का लागि: An Act relating to the solar energy system tax credit available against the individual and corporate income tax, the franchise tax, the moneys and credits tax, and including effective date and retroactive applicability provisions. Introduced by Rep. Jarad Klein, this bill would help farmers, small businesses, and homeowners across rural Iowa generate a long-lasting return on investment when they purchase solar energy. The bill would: 

Double the state-imposed cap on the Iowa Solar Tax Credit from $5 million to $10 million beginning in 2021 to  promote the long-term growth of our state’s solar industry. 

• सौर्य ऊर्जा प्रणाली खरिद गरिसकेका र आफ्नो ऋण प्राप्त गर्न पर्खिरहेका किसान, साना व्यवसाय र घरधनीहरूको वर्षौंदेखिको ब्याकलग तिर्न २०२१ मा थप ७० लाख डलर छुट्याउनुहोस्।
• Bolster Iowa’s clean energy leadership by decoupling the Iowa Solar Tax Credit from the federal Investment Tax Credit (ITC) and set the state credit at 15% of total project costs. Currently, the credit is written to be 50% of the federal ITC, leaving Iowa’s clean energy future at the mercy of an unpredictable federal government.
• आयोवा सोलार ट्याक्स क्रेडिटको म्याद सकिने मिति डिसेम्बर ३०, २०३० तोक्नुहोस्।

UPDATE: Last week, we sent you an action alert calling for your support of this bill. Your voices helped advance this bill with unanimous support out of the House subcommittee! HF 221 now sits in the full House Ways & Means Committee and we encourage you to click here to send a customizable email to your state legislators, उनीहरूलाई सिधै सम्पर्क गर्नुहोस्, or write a letter to the editor to your local newspaper in support of this bill! We are also supportive of similar bills HF १०० र SF २. 

अझै सिक: 
कानूनले आयोवाको स्वच्छ ऊर्जा भविष्यलाई उज्यालो बनाउन सक्छ
Check out this resource from our partners at the Iowa Environmental Council.
Read our official comments here.

सिनेट अध्ययन विधेयक (SSB) 1088 / हाउस स्टडी बिल (HSB) 149—Against: An Act relating to vegetation management by certain electric suppliers. As written, these bills give municipal utilities, rural electric cooperatives, and investor-owned utilities widespread authority to remove any vegetation within an electric distribution line corridor. We believe there should be changes that protect private property rights, conduct a clear assessment of the risks that may, or may not be, posed by existing vegetation. In addition, we are advocating for a clear remedial process for affected property owners.

UPDATE: Both of these bills have advanced out of subcommittee and are in the Senate and House Commerce committees, respectively.

अझै सिक:
हाम्रा आधिकारिक टिप्पणीहरू यहाँ पढ्नुहोस्. 

SSB 1152- अनिर्णित: An Act relating to wind energy conversion facilities and making penalties applicable. This bill aims to set financial requirements for the decommissioning of wind turbines while also setting standards for land restoration after completion.

We are working hard to secure resources for watershed management authorities, watershed coordinators, and other locally directed watershed improvement efforts. Right now, we’re working to establish a Watershed Advancements That Enhance Resources (WATER) Pilot Program through which the Iowa Department of Natural Resources would grant three, three-year, $300,000 grants to eligible watershed management authorities to staff a watershed coordinator. We continue to believe that Iowa’s water quality, flood mitigation, and outdoor recreation efforts are most successful when we empower our communities to chart their own paths forward. We will continue to provide updates as we make progress on these important topics.

HSB 56- अनिर्णित: प्रतिनिधि बबी काउफम्यानद्वारा प्रायोजित यो विधेयकले काउन्टी बाढी न्यूनीकरण गतिविधिहरूलाई "आवश्यक काउन्टी उद्देश्य" को रूपमा परिभाषित गर्न राज्य संहिता परिवर्तन गर्दछ, जसले काउन्टी पर्यवेक्षकहरूको बोर्डलाई ऋण सम्झौता गर्न र अन्य आवश्यक काउन्टी उद्देश्यहरूको लागि अनुमति अनुसार बन्डहरू अनुमोदन गर्न अनुमति दिनेछ। 

UPDATE: A subcommittee meeting for this bill was held on Feb. 1; as of Feb. 9, it has not advanced.

सिनेट फाइल (SF) 1- अनिर्णित: Sponsored by Sen. Brad Zaun, this legislation modifies state code that defines which animal feeding operations are, and are not, identified as single operations in law. The intent is to comply with air and water regulations on animal feeding operations, as enforced by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. 

SF २- अनिर्णित: An Act prohibiting the sale or use of pesticides containing a compound belonging to the neonicotinoid class of chemicals, making penalties applicable, and including effective date provisions.

There has been a flurry of legislation relating to agriculture, beginning farmers, small businesses, and a variety of other topics regarding rural economic development. While we are tracking each of the following bills, we see the most promise in bills investing in rural broadband, altering the beginning farmer tax credit, and promoting investments in small businesses.

SSB 1089 / HSB 133-का लागि: An Act relating to broadband service, including matters under the purview of the office of the chief information officer, the Empower Rural Iowa Broadband Grant Fund, and including effective date and applicability provisions.

This is Gov. Kim Reynolds’ broadband bill, which she announced in her Condition of the State Address in January. In all, the bill would allocate $150 million for broadband expansion this fiscal year and up to a total of $450 million by 2025. We are excited for this groundbreaking investment in rural broadband. In addition to our support, we are encouraging lawmakers to adopt a clear definition of what “rural” means in the bill. We have suggested using the “Nonmetro” county classification as defined by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

UPDATE: A subcommittee hearing on SSB 1089 was Feb. 1; the bill has not yet advanced. Members of the subcommittee are Sens. Koelker, Lykam, Schultz, Wahls, and Williams.

HSB 1-का लागि: प्रतिनिधि ली हेनद्वारा प्रायोजित यो विधेयक, योग्य व्यवसायहरूमा लगानीको लागि प्रमाणित ग्रामीण व्यवसाय वृद्धि कोषहरूमा गरिएको विशिष्ट पूँजी योगदानको लागि आर्थिक विकास प्राधिकरणद्वारा प्रदान गरिएको कर क्रेडिटसँग सम्बन्धित छ। विधेयकले निजी लगानीकर्ताहरूलाई ग्रामीण साना व्यवसायहरूलाई सहयोग गर्न समर्पित कोषहरूको लागि पूँजी जुटाउन अनुमति दिनेछ। ती कोषहरूमा योगदान त्यसपछि कर क्रेडिटको लागि योग्य हुनेछ। कर क्रेडिटको रकम ती व्यवसायहरूले सिर्जना गरेको रोजगारीको संख्यामा निर्भर गर्दछ जुन कोषले समर्थन गर्न प्रयोग गरिन्छ।  

SSB 1144 / HSB 167- अनिर्णित: An Act relating to the beginning farmer tax credit program, modifying participation and lease agreement requirements and tax credit amounts, and including effective date provisions.

UPDATE: A subcommittee meeting on HSB 167 was held on Feb. 3; the bill has not yet advanced.

HF १००- अनिर्णित: An Act relating to agricultural lease agreements entered into by eligible taxpayers and qualified beginning farmers participating in the beginning farmer tax credit program, allowing an eligible taxpayer’s unused tax credit to be transferred to the qualified beginning farmer, and including effective date provisions.

HF १००- अनिर्णित: An Act relating to certain tax credits and assistance awarded by the economic development authority, and including effective date provisions.

UPDATE: A subcommittee meeting for this bill was Jan. 28; the bill has not yet advanced.

SF २- अनिर्णित: सिनेटर क्रिस कोर्नोयरद्वारा प्रायोजित, यो विधेयकले राज्यको ट्राफिक कानूनलाई संशोधन गर्दछ जसले गर्दा मोटर सवारीका चालकहरूले अर्को मोटर सवारी साधनलाई पार गर्दा जस्तै कानुनी रूपमा साइकल चालकहरूलाई पार गर्नुपर्नेछ। यो विधेयकले साइकल चालकको सुरक्षालाई प्राथमिकता दिने र ग्रामीण आयोवामा बाहिरी मनोरञ्जनलाई प्रवर्द्धन गर्ने देखिन्छ।