House File 684 - Introduced
HOUSE FILE
BY COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE
(SUCCESSOR TO HF 296)
Passed House, Date Passed Senate, Date
Vote: Ayes Nays Vote: Ayes Nays
Approved
A BILL FOR
1 An Act relating to the membership and administration of the Iowa
2 propane education and research council, increasing an
3 assessment, and providing an effective date.
4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
5 TLSB 2089HV 83
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PAG LIN
1 1 Section 1. Section 101C.2, Code 2009, is amended by adding
1 2 the following new subsections:
1 3 NEW SUBSECTION. 2A. "Energy star certification" means
1 4 meeting energy efficiency standards and guidelines pursuant to
1 5 the energy star program developed and jointly administered by
1 6 the United States environmental protection agency and United
1 7 States department of energy.
1 8 NEW SUBSECTION. 13. "Weatherization" means activities
1 9 designed to promote or enhance energy efficiency in a
1 10 residence or other building including but not limited to the
1 11 installation of attic, wall, foundation, crawlspace, water
1 12 heater, and pipe insulation; air sealing including caulking
1 13 and weather=stripping of windows and doors; installation of
1 14 windows and doors that qualify for energy star certification;
1 15 the performance of home energy audits; programmable thermostat
1 16 installation; and carbon monoxide and radon inspection and
1 17 detection system installation.
1 18 Sec. 2. Section 101C.2, subsection 8, Code 2009, is
1 19 amended by striking the subsection.
1 20 Sec. 3. Section 101C.3, subsections 1 and 4, Code 2009,
1 21 are amended to read as follows:
1 22 1. The Iowa propane education and research council is
1 23 established. Members of the council shall be appointed by the
1 24 governor from a list of nominees submitted by qualified
1 25 propane industry organizations within thirty days after May
1 26 24, 2007, and by December 15 of each year thereafter. The
1 27 council shall consist of ten voting members, nine of whom
1 28 represent retail propane marketers and one of whom shall be a
1 29 public member the administrator of the division of community
1 30 action agencies of the department of human rights. Members of
1 31 the council other than the administrator shall be appointed by
1 32 the fire marshal from a list of nominees submitted by
1 33 qualified propane industry organizations by December 15 of
1 34 each year. Qualified propane industry organizations shall
1 35 together nominate all members of the council. A vacancy in
2 1 the unfinished term of a council member shall be filled for
2 2 the remainder of the term in the same manner as the original
2 3 appointment was made. Other than the public member
2 4 administrator, council members shall be full=time employees or
2 5 owners of a propane industry business or representatives of an
2 6 agricultural cooperative actively engaged in the propane
2 7 industry. An employee of a qualified propane industry
2 8 organization shall not serve as a member of the council. An
2 9 officer of the board of directors of a qualified propane
2 10 industry organization or propane industry trade association
2 11 shall not serve concurrently as a member of the council. The
2 12 fire marshal or a designee may serve as an ex officio,
2 13 nonvoting member of the council.
2 14 4. A council member, other than the public member, shall
2 15 not receive compensation for the council member's service and
2 16 shall not be reimbursed for expenses relating to the council
2 17 member's service. The public member shall receive a per diem
2 18 as specified in section 7E.6 and shall be reimbursed for
2 19 actual expenses incurred in performing official duties of the
2 20 council not to exceed forty days per year. A member of the
2 21 council shall not be a salaried employee of the council or of
2 22 any organization or agency which receives funds from the
2 23 council.
2 24 Sec. 4. Section 101C.4, subsection 1, Code 2009, is
2 25 amended to read as follows:
2 26 1. The council and its activities shall be funded by an
2 27 annual assessment. Upon establishment of the council and each
2 28 year thereafter the annual assessment shall be made at a rate
2 29 of one=tenth two=tenths of one cent on each gallon of odorized
2 30 propane sold. One=half of the assessment shall be used for
2 31 energy efficiency programs dedicated to weatherization,
2 32 acquisition and installation of energy=efficient customer
2 33 appliances that qualify for energy star certification,
2 34 installation of low=flow faucets and showerheads, and energy
2 35 efficiency education. The council shall by rule establish
3 1 quality standards in relation to weatherization and appliance
3 2 installation.
3 3 Sec. 5. Section 101C.11, Code 2009, is amended to read as
3 4 follows:
3 5 101C.11 REPORT.
3 6 The council shall prepare and submit an annual report to
3 7 the fire marshal and the auditor of state summarizing the
3 8 activities of the council conducted pursuant to this chapter.
3 9 The report shall show all income, expenses, and other relevant
3 10 information concerning assessments collected and expended
3 11 under this chapter. The report shall also include a summary
3 12 of the energy efficiency programs administered pursuant to the
3 13 assessment in section 101C.4, subsection 1, and energy
3 14 efficiency expenditures made pursuant thereto.
3 15 Sec. 6. Section 101C.14, Code 2009, is repealed.
3 16 Sec. 7. EFFECTIVE DATE. The section of this Act amending
3 17 section 101C.4, subsection 1, takes effect January 1, 2010.
3 18 EXPLANATION
3 19 This bill modifies the membership of the Iowa propane
3 20 education and research council. Current law provides for nine
3 21 members of the council representing retail propane marketers,
3 22 and one "public member" of the council who represents a
3 23 significant user of propane, a public safety official, a state
3 24 regulatory official, or another group knowledgeable about
3 25 propane. The bill deletes references to a public member,
3 26 instead providing that the tenth member shall be the
3 27 administrator of the division of community action agencies of
3 28 the department of human rights. The bill makes conforming
3 29 changes elsewhere in Code chapter 101C.
3 30 The bill also provides for an increase in the annual
3 31 assessment imposed pursuant to Code section 101C.4 to fund the
3 32 expenses and activities of the council from the current rate
3 33 of one=tenth of 1 cent to two=tenths of 1 cent on each gallon
3 34 of odorized propane sold. The bill directs that one=half of
3 35 the assessment shall be used for energy efficiency programs
4 1 dedicated to weatherization, acquisition, and installation of
4 2 energy=efficient customer appliances, and energy efficiency
4 3 education. The bill defines "weatherization" to refer to a
4 4 nonexclusive list of energy efficiency activities specified in
4 5 the bill and defines what is meant by "energy star
4 6 certification". The bill provides that the assessment
4 7 increases and the dedication of a portion of the assessments
4 8 specifically to energy efficiency programs take effect January
4 9 1, 2010.
4 10 The bill adds to current reporting requirements a summary
4 11 of the council's energy efficiency activities and
4 12 expenditures.
4 13 The bill additionally repeals a future repeal date for the
4 14 Code chapter of December 31, 2014.
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