House Study Bill 85 



                                       SENATE/HOUSE FILE       
                                       BY  (PROPOSED DEPARTMENT OF
                                            NATURAL RESOURCES BILL)


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

                                      A BILL FOR

  1 An Act relating to permit fees for diverting, storing, or
  2    withdrawing water and making appropriations.
  3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
  4 TLSB 1279XD 82
  5 tm/gg/14

PAG LIN



  1  1    Section 1.  Section 455B.265, Code 2007, is amended by
  1  2 adding the following new subsection:
  1  3    NEW SUBSECTION.  6.  The department may charge an annual
  1  4 fee to a person that has been granted a permit pursuant to
  1  5 this section or required to have a permit pursuant to section
  1  6 455B.268.  The commission shall adopt rules setting the fees.
  1  7 The amount of a fee shall be based on the amount of water
  1  8 stored, withdrawn, or diverted and the department's reasonable
  1  9 cost of reviewing applications, issuing permits, and checking
  1 10 compliance with terms of the permits.  Fees collected pursuant
  1 11 to this subsection are appropriated to the department for
  1 12 purposes of this subsection.  The commission shall annually
  1 13 review the amount of moneys generated by fees, the balance in
  1 14 the fee account, and anticipated expenses for the succeeding
  1 15 fiscal year.  Moneys generated by such fees shall be used to
  1 16 contract with qualified parties to gather scientific
  1 17 information about aquifer characteristics, quantity of water
  1 18 stored in an aquifer, and the effects of withdrawing water
  1 19 from an aquifer, and to review applications, issue permits,
  1 20 provide technical assistance to permit applicants, and check
  1 21 compliance with terms of the permits.
  1 22                           EXPLANATION
  1 23    This bill relates to permit fees for diverting, storing, or
  1 24 withdrawing water.
  1 25    The bill allows the department of natural resources to
  1 26 charge an annual fee to a person required to have a permit for
  1 27 diverting, storing, or withdrawing water from any surface or
  1 28 groundwater source or for diverting water or material from the
  1 29 surface directly into an underground watercourse or basin.
  1 30 The bill requires the environmental protection commission to
  1 31 set the fees.  The bill provides criteria for setting fees.
  1 32 The bill appropriates fees collected to the department for
  1 33 purposes provided in the bill.  The bill requires the
  1 34 commission to annually review the amount of moneys generated
  1 35 by fees, the balance in the fee account, and anticipated
  2  1 expenses for the succeeding fiscal year.  The bill requires
  2  2 moneys generated by such fees to be used to contract with
  2  3 qualified parties to gather scientific information about
  2  4 aquifer characteristics, quantity of water stored in an
  2  5 aquifer, and the effects of withdrawing water from an aquifer,
  2  6 and to review applications, issue permits, provide technical
  2  7 assistance to permit applicants, and check compliance with
  2  8 terms of the permits.
  2  9 LSB 1279XD 82
  2 10 tm:rj/gg/14.1