House File 2400 - Introduced HOUSE FILE 2400 BY KUHN A BILL FOR An Act providing for the reestablishment of a technical 1 advisory committee to reevaluate the master matrix used 2 in approving sites for confinement feeding operations and 3 including effective date provisions. 4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 5 TLSB 6079YH (4) 83 da/rj
H.F. 2400 Section 1. REESTABLISHMENT OF A TECHNICAL ADVISORY 1 COMMITTEE REEVALUATION OF THE MASTER MATRIX. 2 A technical advisory committee is created to reevaluate 3 the master matrix as provided in section 359.305 and 567 IAC 4 chapter 65, appendix C. 5 1. The committee shall be composed of all of the following: 6 a. A designee of the secretary of agriculture. 7 b. A designee of the director of the department of natural 8 resources. 9 c. A designee of the president of the university of Iowa. 10 d. A designee of the president of Iowa state university. 11 e. A representative of the Iowa environmental council. 12 f. A representative of the Iowa state association of 13 counties. 14 g. A representative of the Iowa farm bureau federation. 15 h. A representative of the Iowa’s farmers union. 16 i. Two representatives of organizations representing 17 livestock producers who shall be jointly designated to the 18 department of natural resources by the Iowa pork producers 19 association, the Iowa cattlemens’ association, the Iowa dairy 20 products association, the Iowa poultry association, and the 21 Iowa turkey federation. 22 2. The department of natural resources shall provide 23 administrative support to the committee. The attorney general 24 shall appoint an assistant attorney general to provide the 25 committee with legal counsel and assistance. 26 3. In conducting its reevaluation, the committee shall only 27 consider methods to better further the purpose of the master 28 matrix as specified in section 359.305, subsection 1, without 29 further restriction, including any restriction contained in 30 2002 Iowa Acts, ch. 1137, § 62, or any other restriction 31 provided in section 359.305. 32 4. The committee shall prepare a report, including findings 33 and recommendations. The report may also include proposed 34 legislation and proposed revisions to 567 IAC chapter 65, 35 -1- LSB 6079YH (4) 83 da/rj 1/ 2
H.F. 2400 appendix C. The department on behalf of the committee shall 1 submit its report in an electronic format to the general 2 assembly not later than December 15, 2011. 3 Sec. 2. EFFECTIVE UPON ENACTMENT. This Act, being deemed of 4 immediate importance, takes effect upon enactment. 5 EXPLANATION 6 In 2002, the general assembly enacted S.F. 2293 (2002 7 Iowa Acts, chapter 1137) which in part established a new 8 procedure for approving or disapproving applications for the 9 construction or expansion of confinement feeding operations 10 by the department of natural resources in cooperation with 11 participating county boards of supervisors, based on a master 12 matrix (Code sections 459.304 and 459.305). The purpose of 13 the master matrix is to provide a comprehensive assessment 14 mechanism in order to produce a statistically verifiable basis 15 for determining whether to approve or disapprove an application 16 (Code section 359.305). The Act established a 10-member 17 technical advisory committee to recommend matrix categories, 18 criteria within the categories, and the point values assigned 19 to the criteria. The department adopted a master matrix 20 by rule (567 IAC chapter 65, appendix C). The committee’s 21 function was to implement the statute. 22 This bill reestablishes the committee and provides that 23 in conducting its reevaluation, it shall consider methods to 24 better further the purpose of the master matrix as specified 25 in Code section 359.305, subsection 1, without further 26 restriction, including any restriction contained in 2002 Iowa 27 Acts, chapter 1137, § 62 or Code section 459.305 (e.g., no 28 deduction of points). 29 The bill takes effect upon enactment. 30 -2- LSB 6079YH (4) 83 da/rj 2/ 2