SF 7 (LSB 1345XS (6) 85)

SENATE FILE 7

BY  HOGG

A BILL FOR

An Act prohibiting the disbursement of a certain plant, including its seeds, commonly classified as oriental bittersweet, within this state, and making penalties applicable.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:

    Section 1.  Section 317.25, Code 2013, is amended to read as follows:
   317.25  Teasel,
 
Invasive plants prohibited —— teasel, multiflora rose, and purple loosestrife prohibited —— exceptions, and oriental bittersweet exception —— penalty.
   1.  A person shall not import, sell, offer for sale, or distribute teasel (Dipsacus) biennial, the multiflora rose (Rosa multiflora), purple loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria), purple loosestrife (Lythrum virgatum), or
 
oriental bittersweet (Celastrus orbiculatus), including the seeds of them
 
those plants, in any form in this state. However, this section
 
subsection does not prohibit the sale, offer for sale, or distribution of the multiflora rose (Rosa multiflora) used for understock for either cultivated roses or ornamental shrubs in gardens.
   2.  Any person violating the provisions of this section

subsection 1 is subject to a fine of not exceeding
 
to exceed one hundred dollars.
EXPLANATION
   Current Code section 317.25 originated in 1973 when the 56th General Assembly prohibited the sale, offer for sale, or distribution of teasel (Dipsacus) biennial or its seeds (1973 Iowa Acts, ch. 206). Since then, the general assembly has prohibited the importation of teasel, as well as the importation, sale, offer for sale, or distribution of other plants or their seeds classified as invasive, including the multiflora rose (Rosa multiflora), and purple loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria or Lythrum virgatum). This bill adds oriental bittersweet (Celastrus orbiculatus) and its seeds to that list. The bill provides that a person who imports, sells, offers for sale, or distributes oriental bittersweet is subject to the Code section’s existing fine of not more than $100.