HF 2293 (LSB 5619YH (1) 88)

HOUSE FILE 2293

BY  ISENHART

A BILL FOR

An Act relating to allocations made within the grants to counties water well program.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:

    Section 1.  Section 455E.11, subsection 2, paragraph b, subparagraph (3), subparagraph division (b), unnumbered paragraph 1, Code 2020, is amended to read as follows:
   Two percent is appropriated annually to the department and, except for administrative expenses and excluding the amount allocated to the state university of Iowa center for health effects of environmental contamination pursuant to this subparagraph division, is transferred to the Iowa department of public health for the purpose of administering grants to counties and conducting oversight of county-based programs for the testing of private rural water supply wells, private rural water supply well sealing, and the proper closure of private rural abandoned wells and cisterns. Not more than thirty-five percent of the moneys transferred is appropriated annually for grants to counties for the purpose of conducting programs of private rural water supply testing, private rural water supply well sealing, the proper closure of private rural abandoned wells and cisterns, or any combination thereof.  The department may annually allocate an amount not to exceed two hundred fifty thousand dollars to the state university of Iowa center for health effects of environmental contamination to conduct, in coordination with counties, scientific studies on the incidence, prevalence, and significance of contamination of groundwater tapped by private wells for drinking water purposes, the sources of contamination, and the actual or potential human health impacts associated with such contamination, and to make recommendations regarding ways to remediate the sources of contamination. An amount agreed to by the department of natural resources and the Iowa department of public health shall be retained by the department of natural resources for administrative expenses.
EXPLANATION
The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with
the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly.
   This bill relates to allocations of moneys within the grants to counties water well program within the agricultural management account within the groundwater protection fund.
   Under current law, a groundwater protection fund is created in the state treasury and moneys in the fund are used for purposes related to groundwater monitoring and groundwater quality standards. The agricultural management account consists of moneys deposited in the account from the collection of fertilizer inspection fees, pesticide dealer license fees, pesticide registration fees, and other moneys designated for the purpose of agricultural management. After an appropriation of $9,000 to the Iowa department of public health, 2 percent of the remaining moneys is appropriated to the department of natural resources and, excluding administrative expenses for the department of natural resources, transferred to the Iowa department of public health for the purpose of administering grants to counties and conducting oversight of county-based programs related to private well testing, sealing, and closure.
   The bill authorizes the department of natural resources to allocate up to $250,000 to the state university of Iowa center for health effects of environmental contamination prior to transferring the moneys to the Iowa department of public health. The moneys allocated shall be used by the center, in coordination with counties, to conduct scientific studies on the incidence, prevalence, and significance of contamination of groundwater tapped by private wells for drinking water purposes, the sources of contamination, and the actual or potential human health impacts associated with such contamination, and to make recommendations regarding ways to remediate the sources of contamination.