House File 540 - Introduced



                                       HOUSE FILE       
                                       BY  MERTZ and DRAKE


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

                                      A BILL FOR

  1 An Act relating to soil and water conservation district work
  2    projects supporting water protection practices, and providing
  3    an effective date.
  4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
  5 TLSB 2445HH 82
  6 da/gg/14

PAG LIN



  1  1    Section 1.  Section 161C.2, subsection 1, paragraph b, Code
  1  2 2007, is amended to read as follows:
  1  3    b.  Any work project with an estimated cost in excess of
  1  4 the competitive bid threshold in section 26.3, or as
  1  5 established in section 314.1B, shall be undertaken as a public
  1  6 contract as provided in chapters 73A and 573.  However, the
  1  7 district may waive the requirement for a bond as provided in
  1  8 section 573.2 for a project, if the district estimates that
  1  9 the cost of the project is less than the competitive bid
  1 10 threshold provided in section 26.3.  The local contracting
  1 11 organization shall designate a contracting officer and shall
  1 12 establish procedures to manage the contract, approve bills for
  1 13 payment, and review proposed change orders or amendments to
  1 14 the contract.
  1 15    Sec. 2.  EFFECTIVE DATE.  This Act, being deemed of
  1 16 immediate importance, takes effect upon enactment.
  1 17                           EXPLANATION
  1 18    Code chapter 161C provides for water protection projects
  1 19 and practices.  Code section 161C.2 authorizes a soil and
  1 20 water conservation district to carry out projects to protect
  1 21 this state's groundwater and surface water from point and
  1 22 nonpoint sources of contamination.  The Code section provides
  1 23 that any work project is governed under Code chapter 573 which
  1 24 provides processes for contracting for public improvements.
  1 25 Code section 573.2 requires the posting of a performance bond
  1 26 for a contract involving a public improvement for $25,000 or
  1 27 more.  This bill provides that the commissioners of a soil and
  1 28 water conservation district may waive the requirement if they
  1 29 estimate the cost of the project will not exceed the general
  1 30 competitive bid threshold of $100,000 for general construction
  1 31 bidding as provided in Code section 26.3 (see 2006 Iowa Acts,
  1 32 ch. 1017).
  1 33    The bill takes effect upon enactment.
  1 34 LSB 2445HH 82
  1 35 da:rj/gg/14