HF 2516 (LSB 6038YH (7) 83)

HOUSE FILE 2516

BY  T. OLSON

A BILL FOR

An Act relating to certain elections in disaster-affected counties and cities and including effective date provisions.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:

    Section 1.  NEW SECTION.  39.2A  Special elections —— natural disaster area —— cities and counties.
   1.  Notwithstanding section 39.2, subsection 4, or any other provision of law to the contrary, a county or a city that is located in whole or in part in an area that the governor proclaimed a disaster emergency or the president of the United States declared a major disaster, may hold an election required or authorized by law on any date designated by resolution of the county board of supervisors or the city council, as applicable. However, this section shall not be construed to exempt a county or city from any restriction relating to the date of a subsequent election held for the resubmission of a failed proposition to the electors.
   2.  This section shall only apply to an election on a proposition to authorize an issuance of bonds or other debt obligations of the county or city, a proposition relating to the imposition of a property tax levy, or a proposition relating to a change in the rate of an existing property tax levy, which election is conducted within five years following the proclamation of the governor or the declaration of the president of the United States, whichever is later.
    Sec. 2.  EFFECTIVE UPON ENACTMENT.  This Act, being deemed of immediate importance, takes effect upon enactment.
EXPLANATION
   This bill creates new Code section 39.2A. The new Code section authorizes a county or a city that is located in whole or in part in an area that the governor proclaimed a disaster emergency or the president of the United States declared a major disaster, to hold an election required or authorized by law on any date designated by resolution of the county board of supervisors or the city council, as applicable. The bill provides, however, that new Code section 39.2A shall not be construed to exempt a county or city from any restriction relating to the date of an election held for the resubmission of a failed proposition to the electors.
   The bill only applies to elections on propositions to authorize an issuance of bonds or other debt obligations of the county or city, propositions relating to the imposition of a property tax levy, and propositions relating to a change in the rate of an existing property tax levy, which elections are conducted within five years following the proclamation of the governor or the declaration of the president of the United States, whichever is later.
   The bill takes effect upon enactment.