House Amendment 1540
PAG LIN
1 1 Amend Senate File 200 as follows:
1 2 #1. Page 1, by inserting after line 27, the
1 3 following:
1 4 <DIVISION IV
1 5 WATERSHED IMPROVEMENT
1 6 Sec. . Section 16.5, Code 2005, is amended by
1 7 adding the following new subsection:
1 8 NEW SUBSECTION. 19. Provide administrative and
1 9 fiscal oversight and support for local watershed
1 10 improvement grants awarded pursuant to section 16.185.
1 11 Sec. . NEW SECTION. 16.185 WATERSHED
1 12 IMPROVEMENT FUND == BOARD == DUTIES.
1 13 1. A watershed improvement fund is created in the
1 14 state treasury under the control of the Iowa finance
1 15 authority. Moneys appropriated to the watershed
1 16 improvement fund and any other moneys available to and
1 17 obtained or accepted by the authority for placement in
1 18 the watershed improvement fund shall be deposited in
1 19 the fund. Additionally, payments of interest,
1 20 recaptures of awards, and other repayments to the
1 21 watershed improvement fund shall be deposited in the
1 22 fund. Notwithstanding section 12C.7, subsection 2,
1 23 interest or earnings on moneys in the watershed
1 24 improvement fund shall be credited to the fund.
1 25 Notwithstanding section 8.33, moneys in the fund that
1 26 remain unencumbered or unobligated at the end of the
1 27 fiscal year shall not revert, but shall remain
1 28 available for the same purpose in the succeeding
1 29 fiscal year.
1 30 2. A watershed improvement board is created with
1 31 the following purposes:
1 32 a. Enhancement of water quality in the state
1 33 through a variety of impairment=based, locally
1 34 directed watershed improvement grant projects.
1 35 b. Positively affecting the management and use of
1 36 water for the purposes of drinking, agriculture,
1 37 recreation, sport, and economic development in the
1 38 state.
1 39 c. Ensuring public participation in the process of
1 40 determining priorities related to water quality
1 41 including but not limited to all of the following:
1 42 (1) Agricultural runoff and drainage.
1 43 (2) Stream bank erosion.
1 44 (3) Municipal discharge.
1 45 (4) Stormwater runoff.
1 46 (5) Unsewered communities.
1 47 (6) Industrial discharge.
1 48 (7) Livestock runoff.
1 49 3. The watershed improvement board shall consist
1 50 of all of the following voting members, appointed by
2 1 the named entity:
2 2 a. One member of the Iowa association of business
2 3 and industry.
2 4 b. One member of the Iowa association of municipal
2 5 utilities.
2 6 c. One member of the Iowa association of water
2 7 agencies.
2 8 d. One member of the Iowa cattlemen's association.
2 9 e. One member of the Iowa environmental council.
2 10 f. One member of the Iowa environmental health
2 11 association.
2 12 g. One member of the Iowa farm bureau federation.
2 13 h. One member of the Iowa league of cities.
2 14 i. One member of the Iowa pork producers
2 15 association.
2 16 j. One member of the Iowa rural water association.
2 17 k. One member of the Iowa soybean association.
2 18 l. One member representing soil and water
2 19 conservation districts of Iowa.
2 20 m. One member of the Iowa corn growers
2 21 association.
2 22 n. One member of the Iowa poultry association.
2 23 o. One member of the Iowa land improvement
2 24 contractors association.
2 25 4. The chairpersons and ranking members of the
2 26 committee on natural resources in the senate and the
2 27 committee on environmental protection in the house of
2 28 representatives shall serve as ex officio members of
2 29 the board.
2 30 5. The members of the watershed improvement board
2 31 shall serve three=year staggered terms commencing and
2 32 ending as provided in section 69.19. If a vacancy
2 33 occurs, a successor shall be appointed in the same
2 34 manner and subject to the same qualifications as the
2 35 original appointment to serve the remainder of the
2 36 term.
2 37 6. The members of the board shall elect a
2 38 chairperson and vice chairperson annually from the
2 39 voting membership of the board. A majority of the
2 40 voting members of the board constitutes a quorum. If
2 41 the chairperson and vice chairperson are unable to
2 42 preside over the board due to absence or disability, a
2 43 majority of the voting members present may elect a
2 44 temporary chairperson by a majority vote providing a
2 45 quorum is present.
2 46 7. The board shall meet no more than on a
2 47 quarterly basis.
2 48 8. The members of the watershed improvement board
2 49 may receive reimbursement for actual expenses incurred
2 50 while engaged in the performance of their official
3 1 duties. A board member may also be eligible to
3 2 receive compensation as provided in section 7E.6.
3 3 9. The chairperson of the board shall notify the
3 4 legislative council of the membership of the board on
3 5 an annual basis and shall notify the legislative
3 6 council of any changes in membership that occur due to
3 7 a vacancy on the board.
3 8 10. A watershed improvement board member shall not
3 9 serve on a local watershed improvement committee.
3 10 11. The Iowa finance authority shall provide
3 11 administrative support to the board. Not more than
3 12 twelve thousand dollars of the moneys appropriated for
3 13 the purposes of the local watershed improvement
3 14 grants, annually, shall be used for administrative
3 15 purposes.
3 16 12. The watershed improvement board shall do all
3 17 of the following:
3 18 a. Award local watershed improvement grants and
3 19 monitor the progress of local watershed improvement
3 20 projects awarded grants. A local watershed
3 21 improvement grant may be awarded for a period not to
3 22 exceed three years. Each local watershed improvement
3 23 grant awarded shall not exceed ten percent of the
3 24 moneys appropriated for the grants during a fiscal
3 25 year.
3 26 b. Assist with the development of monitoring plans
3 27 for local watershed improvement projects.
3 28 c. Review monitoring results before, during, and
3 29 after completion of a local watershed improvement
3 30 project.
3 31 d. Review costs and benefits of mitigation
3 32 practices utilized by a project.
3 33 e. By January 31, annually, submit an electronic
3 34 report to the governor and the general assembly
3 35 regarding the progress of the watershed improvement
3 36 projects during the previous calendar year.
3 37 f. Adopt administrative rules pursuant to chapter
3 38 17A to administer this section.
3 39 13. The board may elicit the expertise of other
3 40 organizations for technical assistance in the work of
3 41 the board. The organizations may include but are not
3 42 limited to all of the following:
3 43 a. The state university of Iowa.
3 44 b. The Iowa state university of science and
3 45 technology.
3 46 c. The department of natural resources.
3 47 d. The department of agriculture and land
3 48 stewardship.
3 49 e. The United States geological survey.
3 50 f. The United States department of agriculture,
4 1 agricultural research service national soil tilth
4 2 laboratory.
4 3 g. The Leopold center for sustainable agriculture.
4 4 14. a. A local watershed improvement committee
4 5 shall be organized for the purposes of applying for a
4 6 local watershed improvement grant and implementing a
4 7 local watershed improvement project. A majority of
4 8 the members of the local watershed improvement
4 9 committee shall represent a cause for the impairment
4 10 of the watershed. The committee shall be authorized
4 11 as a not=for=profit organization by the secretary of
4 12 state. Soil and water conservation districts may also
4 13 be eligible and apply for and receive local watershed
4 14 improvement grants.
4 15 b. A local watershed improvement committee shall
4 16 be responsible for application for and implementation
4 17 of an approved local watershed improvement grant,
4 18 including providing authorization for project bids and
4 19 project expenditures under the grant. A portion of
4 20 the grant moneys may be used to engage engineering
4 21 expertise related to the project. The committee shall
4 22 monitor local performance throughout the local
4 23 watershed grant project and shall submit a report at
4 24 six=month intervals regarding the progress and
4 25 findings of the project as required by the watershed
4 26 improvement board.>
4 27 #2. Title page, by striking lines 1 through 3 and
4 28 inserting the following: <An Act relating to
4 29 agriculture by providing for the powers and duties of
4 30 the department of agriculture and land stewardship and
4 31 watershed improvement.>
4 32 #3. By renumbering as necessary.
4 33
4 34
4 35
4 36 GREINER of Washington
4 37 SF 200.301 81
4 38 tm/cf/2872
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