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