House File 2244 - Introduced HOUSE FILE BY SWAIM (COMPANION TO LSB 5329SS BY KREIMAN) Passed House, Date Passed Senate, Date Vote: Ayes Nays Vote: Ayes Nays Approved A BILL FOR 1 An Act limiting the forest reservation acreage property tax 2 exemption and including effective and applicability date 3 provisions. 4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 5 TLSB 5329HH 82 6 sc/rj/8 PAG LIN 1 1 Section 1. Section 427C.3, Code 2007, is amended to read 1 2 as follows: 1 3 427C.3 FOREST RESERVATION. 1 4 1. A forest reservation shall contain not less than two 1 5 hundred growing forest trees on each acre.IfSubject to the 1 6 restrictions in subsection 2, if the area selected is a forest 1 7 containing the required number of growing forest trees,itthe 1 8 area shall be accepted as a forest reservation under this 1 9 chapter provided application is made or on file on or before 1 10 February 1 of the exemption year. If any buildings are 1 11 standing on an area selected as a forest reservation under 1 12 this section or a fruit=tree reservation under section 427C.7, 1 13 one acre of that area shall be excluded from the tax 1 14 exemption. However, the exclusion of that acre shall not 1 15 affect the area's meeting the acreage requirement of section 1 16 427C.2. 1 17 2. An exemption granted for a forest reservation shall not 1 18 exceed ten acres of reservation. An owner of a forest 1 19 reservation is limited to one forest reservation exemption in 1 20 the county. 1 21 Sec. 2. EFFECTIVE AND APPLICABILITY DATE PROVISIONS. This 1 22 Act, being deemed of immediate importance, takes effect upon 1 23 enactment and applies to forest reservation exemptions granted 1 24 before, on, or after the effective date of this Act. Forest 1 25 reservation exemptions in effect as of the effective date of 1 26 this Act shall be modified so that the amount of exemption 1 27 does not exceed ten acres of forest reservation and so that 1 28 only one exemption per owner per county is allowed. 1 29 EXPLANATION 1 30 This bill limits to 10 acres the amount of forest 1 31 reservation for which a property tax exemption may be granted. 1 32 The bill also provides that an owner of a forest reservation 1 33 is limited to one forest reservation exemption in the county. 1 34 The bill takes effect upon enactment and applies to forest 1 35 reservation exemptions granted before, on, or after the 2 1 effective date. 2 2 LSB 5329HH 82 2 3 sc/rj/8