House Study Bill 637 HOUSE FILE BY (PROPOSED COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE BILL BY CHAIRPERSON DRAKE) Passed House, Date Passed Senate, Date Vote: Ayes Nays Vote: Ayes Nays Approved A BILL FOR 1 An Act allocating moneys used to support groundwater protection 2 programs. 3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 4 TLSB 6091YC 80 5 da/sh/8 PAG LIN 1 1 Section 1. Section 455E.11, subsection 2, paragraph b, 1 2 subparagraph (3), subparagraph subdivision (a), Code 1 3 Supplement 2003, is amended to read as follows: 1 4 (a)Thirty=fiveThirty=four and one=half percent is 1 5 appropriated annually for the Leopold center for sustainable 1 6 agriculture at Iowa state university of science and 1 7 technology. 1 8 Sec. 2. Section 455E.11, subsection 2, paragraph b, 1 9 subparagraph (3), subparagraph subdivision (b), unnumbered 1 10 paragraph 1, Code Supplement 2003, is amended to read as 1 11 follows: 1 12 Two and one=half percent is appropriated annually to the 1 13 department and, except for administrative expenses, is 1 14 transferred to the Iowa department of public health for the 1 15 purpose of administering grants to counties and conducting 1 16 oversight of county=based programs for the testing of private 1 17 rural water supply wells, private rural water supply well 1 18 sealing, and the proper closure of private rural abandoned 1 19 wells and cisterns. Not more than thirty=five percent of the 1 20 moneys is appropriated annually for grants to counties for the 1 21 purpose of conducting programs of private rural water supply 1 22 testing, private rural water supply well sealing, the proper 1 23 closure of private rural abandoned wells and cisterns, or any 1 24 combination thereof. An amount agreed to by the department of 1 25 natural resources and the Iowa department of public health 1 26 shall be retained by the department of natural resources for 1 27 administrative expenses. 1 28 EXPLANATION 1 29 This bill amends Code chapter 455E, which provides 1 30 policies, programs, and expenditures for groundwater 1 31 protection, including by creating the groundwater protection 1 32 fund in Code section 455E.11. The fund includes various 1 33 accounts. One account is the agricultural management account, 1 34 which is supported in part by fees collected under Code 1 35 chapter 200 regulating fertilizers and soil conditioners and 2 1 Code chapter 206 regulating pesticides. After initial moneys 2 2 are appropriated, the remaining amount is allocated according 2 3 to a formula. The first 35 percent is appropriated to the 2 4 Leopold center for sustainable agriculture at Iowa state 2 5 university of science and technology. The next 2 percent is 2 6 appropriated to the department of natural resources, which, 2 7 after taking an amount for administrative expenses, transfers 2 8 the moneys to the Iowa department of public health for the 2 9 purpose of administering grants to counties. The grants are 2 10 to be used for the testing of private rural water supply 2 11 wells, private rural water supply well sealing, and the proper 2 12 closure of private rural abandoned wells and cisterns. 2 13 The bill reduces the appropriation made to the Leopold 2 14 center by one=half percent and increases the appropriation 2 15 made to support the grants to counties by the same amount. 2 16 LSB 6091YC 80 2 17 da/sh/8