House File 2322 - Introduced HOUSE FILE BY COMMITTEE ON NATURAL RESOURCES (SUCCESSOR TO HF 735) Passed House, Date Passed Senate, Date Vote: Ayes Nays Vote: Ayes Nays Approved A BILL FOR 1 An Act establishing the public hunting, parks, and trails 2 program, and making appropriations to the program and to the 3 conservation practices revolving loan fund, and providing an 4 effective date. 5 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 6 TLSB 6458HV 81 7 av/je/5 PAG LIN 1 1 Section 1. Section 423.2, subsection 11, Code Supplement 1 2 2005, is amended to read as follows: 1 3 11. All revenues arising under the operation of the 1 4 provisions of this section shall be deposited as follows: 1 5 a. Ninety=eight percent into the general fund of the 1 6 state. 1 7 b. One=half of one percent into the conservation practices 1 8 revolving loan fund created in section 161A.71. 1 9 c. One and one=half percent into the public hunting, 1 10 parks, and trails program fund created in section 461A.81. 1 11 Sec. 2. NEW SECTION. 461A.81 PUBLIC HUNTING, PARKS, AND 1 12 TRAILS PROGRAM == APPROPRIATION. 1 13 1. ESTABLISHMENT. The department shall establish a public 1 14 hunting, parks, and trails program. The purpose of the 1 15 program is to provide funding for the lease and maintenance of 1 16 land for public hunting, for projects involving vertical 1 17 infrastructure in public parks, and for recreation trails 1 18 development. A public hunting, parks, and trails program fund 1 19 is created and funds appropriated for purposes of this section 1 20 pursuant to section 423.2, subsection 11, shall be maintained 1 21 in the public hunting, parks, and trails program fund and 1 22 shall be divided and expended by the department to undertake 1 23 each of the stated purposes of this program with forty percent 1 24 of the funds expended for public hunting projects as set forth 1 25 in subsection 2, thirty percent of the funds expended for park 1 26 projects as set forth in subsection 3, and thirty percent of 1 27 the funds expended for recreation trails projects as set forth 1 28 in subsection 4. Notwithstanding section 8.33, unencumbered 1 29 or unobligated moneys remaining at the end of a fiscal year 1 30 shall not revert but shall remain available for expenditure 1 31 during the following fiscal year for purposes of the public 1 32 hunting, parks, and trails program. 1 33 2. PUBLIC HUNTING PROJECTS. The department shall 1 34 undertake projects to enter into leases, for a duration agreed 1 35 to by the parties, of lands suitable for public hunting, and 2 1 rights=of=way thereto, and maintain the same for the purpose 2 2 of public hunting, to provide areas in which any person may 2 3 hunt in accordance with the law and the rules of the 2 4 department. The department shall disburse funds to undertake 2 5 public hunting projects on an equal basis in all counties. 2 6 Each county shall expend the disbursed funds only for the 2 7 purpose of undertaking public hunting projects as set forth in 2 8 this subsection. Disbursed funds that are not used by a 2 9 county at the end of a fiscal year, and interest accruing on 2 10 those funds, shall remain in the county for expenditure during 2 11 the following fiscal year only for the purpose of undertaking 2 12 public hunting projects as set forth in this subsection. 2 13 3. PARK PROJECTS. The department shall undertake projects 2 14 involving existing vertical infrastructure or the construction 2 15 of new vertical infrastructure if the new infrastructure is 2 16 required due to the development of a new park, due to 2 17 increased demand for facilities at an existing park, or if it 2 18 is not cost=effective to repair or renovate the existing 2 19 vertical infrastructure. "Vertical infrastructure" means the 2 20 same as defined in section 8.57, subsection 6, paragraph "c". 2 21 Such projects shall be limited to state parks and other public 2 22 facilities managed by the department. 2 23 4. RECREATION TRAILS PROJECTS. The department shall 2 24 undertake projects involving the repair, development, 2 25 promotion, and management of recreation trails throughout the 2 26 state. However, funds shall not be expended under this 2 27 subsection for the acquisition of rights=of=way to recreation 2 28 trails. 2 29 5. PUBLIC HUNTING, PARKS, AND TRAILS PROGRAM ADVISORY 2 30 BOARD. 2 31 a. An advisory board for the public hunting, parks, and 2 32 trails program is created. The board shall consist of six 2 33 public members appointed by the director. The membership of 2 34 the board shall include members of three groups representing 2 35 agricultural interests and three groups representing 3 1 conservation, habitat, and wildlife groups. No more than 3 2 three members shall belong to the same political party. The 3 3 board shall elect a chairperson and a secretary annually from 3 4 among the board's members. Persons already serving in an 3 5 elected or appointed governmental capacity are not eligible to 3 6 serve as board members. 3 7 b. Appointments to the advisory board shall be made for 3 8 three=year terms beginning July 1 in the year of appointment. 3 9 A person shall not serve more than two terms. A vacancy shall 3 10 be filled for the unexpired term in the same manner as the 3 11 original appointment was made. The members of the board shall 3 12 be reimbursed for actual and necessary expenses for each day 3 13 employed in the official discharge of their duties. The 3 14 expenses shall be paid from the administration fund of the 3 15 commission. Each member of the board may also be eligible to 3 16 receive compensation as provided in section 7E.6. 3 17 c. The advisory board shall meet annually, in July, and 3 18 upon the call of the chairperson of the board. The board 3 19 shall review the public hunting projects, the parks projects, 3 20 and the recreation trails projects undertaken during the 3 21 previous year with appropriated funds received pursuant to 3 22 this section to determine what public benefits have been 3 23 accomplished by the program. The board shall prepare and 3 24 deliver an annual report of its findings to the general 3 25 assembly on or before December 15 of each year. 3 26 Administrative support and staffing for the board shall be 3 27 provided by the department. 3 28 Sec. 3. This Act takes effect July 1, 2007. 3 29 EXPLANATION 3 30 This bill appropriates funds to the conservation practices 3 31 revolving loan fund and to the public hunting, parks, and 3 32 trails program fund created in the bill. 3 33 The bill appropriates .5 percent of sales and use tax 3 34 receipts into the conservation practices revolving loan fund 3 35 created in Code section 161A.71 to be used for the purpose of 4 1 establishing new permanent soil and water conservation 4 2 practices on private land. 4 3 The bill requires the department of natural resources to 4 4 establish the public hunting, parks, and trails program and 4 5 fund and appropriates revenue arising from the sales and use 4 6 tax to fund the program. The bill appropriates 1.5 percent of 4 7 sales and use tax receipts to fund the program. 4 8 The bill provides that the purpose of the program is to 4 9 undertake projects to lease and maintain land for public 4 10 hunting, undertake projects involving vertical infrastructure 4 11 in public parks, and to undertake projects for recreation 4 12 trails development. The bill provides that funds appropriated 4 13 for the program shall be divided and expended by the 4 14 department with 40 percent of the funds expended for public 4 15 hunting projects, 30 percent of the funds expended for park 4 16 projects, and 30 percent of the funds expended for recreation 4 17 trails projects. The bill also provides that unencumbered or 4 18 unobligated moneys remaining at the end of a fiscal year shall 4 19 not revert to the general fund of the state but shall remain 4 20 available for expenditure for the program for the following 4 21 year. 4 22 The bill requires the department to undertake public 4 23 hunting projects by entering into leases, for a duration 4 24 agreed to by the parties, of lands suitable for public hunting 4 25 and maintaining those lands to provide areas where the public 4 26 may hunt. The bill requires the department to disburse funds 4 27 to undertake public hunting projects on an equal basis in all 4 28 counties and allows counties to keep unused funds for public 4 29 hunting projects in the following year. 4 30 The bill requires the department to undertake projects 4 31 involving existing and new vertical infrastructure in existing 4 32 and new parks. 4 33 The bill also requires the department to undertake projects 4 34 involving the repair, development, promotion, and management 4 35 of recreation trails throughout the state, but not involving 5 1 the purchase of rights=of=way to recreation trails. 5 2 The bill creates a public hunting, parks, and trails 5 3 program advisory board consisting of six public members who 5 4 represent three agricultural groups and three conservation, 5 5 habitat, and wildlife groups and who are appointed by the 5 6 director of the department of natural resources. The bill 5 7 provides that appointments to the advisory board are for three 5 8 years and that the board shall meet once annually in July for 5 9 the purpose of reviewing the projects undertaken in the 5 10 previous year to determine what public benefits have been 5 11 accomplished by the program. The bill also provides that the 5 12 advisory board shall prepare and deliver an annual report of 5 13 the board's findings to the general assembly on or before 5 14 December 15 of each year. 5 15 The bill takes effect July 1, 2007. 5 16 LSB 6458HV 81 5 17 av:rj/je/5