House File 2285

                                       HOUSE FILE       
                                       BY  THOMAS


    Passed House,  Date               Passed Senate, Date             
    Vote:  Ayes        Nays           Vote:  Ayes        Nays         
                 Approved                            

                                      A BILL FOR

  1 An Act creating a main street economic initiative.
  2 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
  3 TLSB 6059HH 80
  4 tm/pj/5

PAG LIN

  1  1    Section 1.  NEW SECTION.  15A.11  MAIN STREET ECONOMIC
  1  2 INITIATIVE.
  1  3    1.  The department of economic development shall establish
  1  4 a main street economic initiative for purposes of encouraging
  1  5 business investment in rural communities that leads to
  1  6 increased employment and increased personal income for people
  1  7 in rural Iowa.
  1  8    2.  As part of the initiative, the department shall, as
  1  9 much as possible, use and apply all of the following programs
  1 10 and areas of emphasis to the benefit of rural communities and
  1 11 enterprise zones designated pursuant to section 15E.194:
  1 12    a.  Value=added agriculture and the value=added
  1 13 agricultural products and processes financial assistance
  1 14 program established in section 15E.111.
  1 15    b.  The Iowa main street program.
  1 16    c.  Promotion of regional partnering and regional funding.
  1 17    d.  The community attraction and tourism program
  1 18 established in section 15F.202.
  1 19    e.  The encouraged use of the cultural and entertainment
  1 20 district certification program established by the department
  1 21 of cultural affairs in section 303.3B.
  1 22    f.  The business assistance provisions of sections 15E.18,
  1 23 15E.19, and 15E.20.
  1 24    g.  Increasing technology innovations.
  1 25    h.  The encouraged use of training and information through
  1 26 the Iowa state university agricultural extension service.
  1 27    i.  The promotion of entrepreneurial education in public
  1 28 and accredited nonpublic schools.
  1 29                           EXPLANATION
  1 30    This bill creates a main street economic initiative.
  1 31    The bill requires the department of economic development to
  1 32 establish a main street economic initiative for purposes of
  1 33 encouraging business investment in rural communities that
  1 34 leads to increased employment and increased personal income
  1 35 for people in rural Iowa.  The bill provides that, as part of
  2  1 the initiative, the department shall, as much as possible, use
  2  2 and apply all of the following programs and areas of emphasis
  2  3 to the benefit of rural communities and enterprise zones
  2  4 designated under the enterprise zone program:
  2  5    1.  Value=added agriculture and the value=added
  2  6 agricultural products and processes financial assistance
  2  7 program.
  2  8    2.  The Iowa main street program.
  2  9    3.  Promotion of regional partnering and funding.
  2 10    4.  The community attraction and tourism program.
  2 11    5.  The encouraged use of the cultural and entertainment
  2 12 district certification program established by the department
  2 13 of cultural affairs.
  2 14    6.  Certain business assistance provisions conducted by the
  2 15 department of economic development relating to business start=
  2 16 ups, regulatory assistance, and site preparation for targeted
  2 17 economic development.
  2 18    7.  Increasing technology innovations.
  2 19    8.  The encouraged use of training and information through
  2 20 the Iowa state university agricultural extension service.
  2 21    9.  The promotion of entrepreneurial education in public
  2 22 and accredited nonpublic schools.
  2 23 LSB 6059HH 80
  2 24 tm/pj/5