HOUSE FILE 51

BY  PETTENGILL and HORBACH

A BILL FOR

An Act providing for the allocation of moneys appropriated to the Iowa resources enhancement and protection fund.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:

   Section 1.  Section 455A.19, subsection 1, paragraph a, unnumbered paragraph 1, Code 2011, is amended to read as follows:
   Twenty-eight Twenty percent shall be allocated to the open spaces account. At least ten percent of the allocations to the account shall be made available to match private funds for open space projects on the cost-share basis of not less than twenty-five percent private funds pursuant to the rules adopted by the natural resource commission. Five percent of the funds allocated to the open spaces account shall be used to fund the protected waters program. This account shall be used by the department to implement the statewide open space acquisition, protection, and development programs.
   Sec. 2.  Section 455A.19, subsection 1, paragraph e, Code 2011, is amended to read as follows:
   e.  Nine Seventeen percent shall be allocated to the state land management account. The department shall use the moneys allocated to this account for maintenance and expansion of state lands and related facilities under its jurisdiction. The authority to expand state lands and facilities under this paragraph is limited to expansion of the state lands and facilities already owned by the state. There is appropriated from the state land management account to the department the moneys in that account, or so much thereof as is necessary, to implement a maintenance and expansion program for state lands and related facilities under the jurisdiction of the department.
EXPLANATION
   This bill changes the annual allocation of moneys appropriated from the Iowa resources enhancement and protection fund to various accounts and other funds. The fund is appropriated $20 million per year from the general fund until the fiscal year ending June 30, 2021. The bill decreases the amount allocated to the open spaces account from 28 to 20 percent and increases the amount allocated to the state land management account from 9 to 17 percent. The open spaces account is used by the department of natural resources to implement statewide open space acquisition, protection, and development programs. The state land management account is used by the department for the maintenance and expansion of state lands and related facilities.
   Currently the Iowa resources enhancement and protection fund allocates 28 percent to the open spaces account, 20 percent to the county conservation account, 20 percent to the soil and water enhancement account, 15 percent to the cities’ parks and open space account, 9 percent to the state land management account, 5 percent to the historical resource grant and loan fund, and 3 percent to the living roadway account for distribution to the living roadway trust fund.