House File 152 - Introduced
HOUSE FILE
BY D. OLSON, SCHUELLER, HEDDENS,
KRESSIG, JACOBY, JACOBS, SMITH,
and MERTZ
Passed House, Date Passed Senate, Date
Vote: Ayes Nays Vote: Ayes Nays
Approved
A BILL FOR
1 An Act providing for a low head dam public hazard program, and
2 making an appropriation.
3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
4 TLSB 1068YH 82
5 da/je/5
PAG LIN
1 1 Section 1. NEW SECTION. 464A.11 LOW HEAD DAM PUBLIC
1 2 HAZARD PROGRAM.
1 3 1. The department shall establish a low head dam public
1 4 hazard program to reduce the incidents of drowning due to
1 5 dangers associated with coming within proximity of a
1 6 traditionally designed low head dam, including hydraulic
1 7 conditions or recirculating or reverse current velocity.
1 8 2. In administering the low head dam public hazard
1 9 program, the department may provide for all of the following:
1 10 a. Compiling an inventory of low head dams, including a
1 11 listing of those low head dams which may require remediation.
1 12 b. Providing for public education including placing
1 13 notices near low head dams and along navigational trails, and
1 14 increasing public awareness of the dangers associated with low
1 15 head dams.
1 16 c. Constructing portage trails circumventing low head
1 17 dams, including the construction of appropriate landing and
1 18 launching sites.
1 19 d. Recommending designs for low head dams to reduce
1 20 incidents of drowning.
1 21 e. Providing for cost=effective remediation, including the
1 22 removal or modification of low head dams.
1 23 Sec. 2. LOW HEAD DAM PUBLIC HAZARD PROGRAM ==
1 24 APPROPRIATION. There is appropriated from the general fund of
1 25 the state to the department of natural resources for the
1 26 fiscal year beginning July 1, 2007, and ending June 30, 2008,
1 27 the following amount, or so much thereof as is necessary, to
1 28 be used for the purposes designated:
1 29 For purposes of supporting the low head dam public hazard
1 30 program as provided in section 464A.11, as enacted in this
1 31 Act:
1 32 .................................................. $ 200,000
1 33 1. The moneys appropriated in this section shall be used
1 34 to provide grants to local communities, including counties and
1 35 cities, for projects approved by the department.
2 1 a. The department shall establish a grant application
2 2 process and shall require each local community applying for a
2 3 project grant to submit a project plan for the expenditure of
2 4 the moneys, and to file a report with the department regarding
2 5 the project, as required by the department.
2 6 b. The department shall only award moneys on a matching
2 7 basis, pursuant to which the local community shall contribute
2 8 a dollar for each dollar awarded by the department, in order
2 9 to finance a project.
2 10 2. a. The moneys appropriated in this section shall be
2 11 allocated for grant projects as follows:
2 12 (1) Thirty percent for placing notices near low head dams
2 13 and along navigational trails and constructing portage trails.
2 14 (2) Thirty percent for conducting studies of low head
2 15 dams, which may include strategies for reducing hazards
2 16 associated with the low head dams, including but not limited
2 17 to cost=effective remediation.
2 18 (3) Forty percent for providing cost=effective remediation
2 19 of low head dams.
2 20 b. If the department determines that an amount of an
2 21 allocation provided in paragraph "a" cannot be reasonably
2 22 expended to finance all projects to be supported from that
2 23 allocation, the department may use that amount to finance
2 24 projects which are supported from another allocation, as
2 25 provided in paragraph "a".
2 26 EXPLANATION
2 27 This bill establishes a low head dam public hazard program
2 28 to reduce the incidents of drowning due to dangers associated
2 29 with coming within the proximity of a traditionally designed
2 30 low head dam. The program is to be administered by the
2 31 department of natural resources. The bill appropriates moneys
2 32 from the general fund to support the program. The moneys are
2 33 appropriated to support grants to local communities on a
2 34 matching basis. The moneys are to be used for placing notices
2 35 near low head dams and along navigational trails, constructing
3 1 portage trails, conducting studies, and providing for
3 2 cost=effective remediation.
3 3 LSB 1068YH 82
3 4 da:nh/je/5.1