SF 393 (LSB 2409SV (2) 86)

SENATE FILE 393

BY  COMMITTEE ON NATURAL RESOURCES AND ENVIRONMENT

(SUCCESSOR TO SSB 1207)

A BILL FOR

An Act creating the invasive forest pests revolving loan program and fund and including appropriations. 
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:

PART 10

INVASIVE FOREST PESTS REVOLVING LOAN PROGRAM
    Section 1.  NEW SECTION.  16.222  Invasive forest pests revolving loan program —— fund.
   1.  For purposes of this section, unless the context otherwise requires:
   a.  “Department” means the department of natural resources.
   b.  “Political subdivision” means a city, county, township, or school district.
   c.  “Treatment” means the administration, by environmentally sensitive processes and methods, of products and materials proven by academic research to protect trees from invasive forest pests in order to prevent or reverse damage to trees from invasive forest pests on public land in political subdivisions and prevent the death of the trees.
   2.  The authority, in cooperation with the department, shall establish and administer an invasive forest pests revolving loan program. Assistance under the program shall consist of low-interest or no-interest loans and shall be used for the purpose of treatment of standing trees, development of invasive forest pests forestry management plans, and assistance in efforts to manage invasive forest pests for trees located on public land in political subdivisions.
   3.  A political subdivision may apply for assistance under the program. The authority, in cooperation with the department, shall adopt rules to administer the program, including procedures for prioritizing applications from political subdivisions that apply for the loans.
   4.  An invasive forest pests revolving loan fund is created in the state treasury under the control of the authority, in cooperation with the department, and consisting of moneys appropriated by the general assembly and any other moneys available to and obtained or accepted by the authority or the department for placement in the fund.
   5.  Repayment of moneys loaned and recaptures of loans shall be deposited in the fund.
   6.  Moneys in the fund are appropriated to the authority, in cooperation with the department, to provide assistance under the invasive forest pests revolving loan program established in this section.
   7.  Not more than three percent of the moneys in the invasive forest pests revolving loan fund in a fiscal year may be used by the authority and the department to establish and administer the invasive forest pests revolving loan program.
   8.  Notwithstanding section 8.33, moneys in the fund that remain unencumbered or unobligated at the close of a fiscal year shall not revert but shall remain available for expenditure for the purposes designated until the close of the succeeding fiscal year. Notwithstanding section 12C.7, interest or earnings on moneys in the fund shall be credited to the fund.
    Sec. 2.  INVASIVE FOREST PESTS REVOLVING LOAN FUND —— APPROPRIATION.  There is appropriated from the general fund of the state to the invasive forest pests revolving loan fund established in section 16.222, as enacted in this Act, for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2015, and ending June 30, 2016, the following amount, or so much thereof as is necessary, to be used for the establishment and administration of the invasive forest pests revolving loan program established pursuant to this Act:

.................................................. $  3,000,000
EXPLANATION
The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with

the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly.
   This bill creates the invasive forest pests revolving loan program and fund and appropriates moneys to the fund.
   The bill requires the Iowa finance authority (authority), in cooperation with the department of natural resources (department), to establish and administer an invasive forest pests revolving loan program to provide low-interest or no-interest loans to political subdivisions to be used for the purpose of treatment of standing trees, developing invasive forest pests forestry management plans, and assistance in efforts to manage invasive forest pests for trees located on public land in political subdivisions. For purposes of the program, “treatment” means the administration, by environmentally sensitive processes and methods, of products and materials proven by academic research to protect trees from invasive forest pests in order to prevent or reverse damage to trees from invasive forest pests on public land in political subdivisions and prevent the death of the trees.
   A political subdivision may apply for assistance under the program. The authority, in cooperation with the department, is directed to adopt rules to administer the program, including procedures for prioritizing applications for the loans.
   The bill also creates an invasive forest pests revolving loan fund in the state treasury under the control of the authority, in cooperation with the department. The fund consists of moneys appropriated by the general assembly as well as any other moneys available to and obtained or accepted by the authority or department for placement in the fund. Repayment of moneys loaned and recaptures of loans are to be deposited in the fund. Not more than 3 percent of the moneys in the fund in a fiscal year may be used by the authority and the department to establish and administer the invasive forest pests revolving loan program. Moneys appropriated to the fund that are unencumbered or unobligated at the close of the fiscal year remain in the fund for the designated purposes until the close of the succeeding fiscal year and interest or earnings on moneys in the fund are credited to the fund.
   The bill also contains an appropriation of $3 million from the general fund to the invasive forest pests revolving loan fund for FY 2015-2016 to establish and administer the invasive forest pests revolving loan program.