House File 724 - Introduced HOUSE FILE 724 BY ISENHART , BEARINGER , STAED , KRESSIG , WESSEL-KROESCHELL , BROWN-POWERS , GAINES , COHOON , BENNETT , HUNTER , ABDUL-SAMAD , KACENA , B. MEYER , BRECKENRIDGE , GASKILL , WINCKLER , DONAHUE , KURTH , MASCHER , SUNDE , DERRY , LENSING , KURTZ , KONFRST , MATSON , ANDERSON , PRICHARD , JAMES , EHLERT , WILLIAMS , FORBES , THEDE , McCONKEY , STECKMAN , WOLFE , M. SMITH , and JACOBY A BILL FOR An Act establishing an agriculture climate adaptation advisory 1 task force and providing for an agriculture climate 2 adaptation report. 3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 4 TLSB 1202YH (9) 88 da/rn

H.F. 724 Section 1. AGRICULTURE CLIMATE ADAPTATION ADVISORY TASK 1 FORCE. 2 1. a. The general assembly expressly recognizes the 3 impact of climatic change on ecosystem processes that support 4 agricultural productivity, including an increase in the 5 frequency, duration, and intensity of floods and droughts, 6 pest infestations, and extreme temperatures that compromise 7 this state’s soil, water resources, the health of crops and 8 livestock, and the health and well-being of human populations. 9 b. It is the objective of this state to reduce the impact of 10 factors associated with climatic change on ecosystem processes 11 that support agricultural productivity and adopt strategies to 12 ameliorate the effects of such climate change on a short-term 13 and long-term basis. 14 2. There is created an agriculture climate adaptation 15 advisory task force housed within the department of agriculture 16 and land stewardship. 17 a. The voting members of the task force shall include all 18 of the following: 19 (1) The secretary of agriculture or a designee appointed by 20 the secretary of agriculture. 21 (2) The director of the department of natural resources or a 22 designee appointed by the director. 23 (3) A person appointed by the president of the university of 24 northern Iowa who shall represent the Iowa center for energy 25 and environmental education. 26 (4) A person appointed by the president of Iowa state 27 university of science and technology who is associated with the 28 Iowa water center. 29 (5) A person appointed by the president of Iowa state 30 university of science and technology who is associated with the 31 college of agriculture and life sciences. 32 (6) A person appointed by the president of Iowa state 33 university of science and technology who is associated with 34 extension and outreach programs as part of the agriculture and 35 -1- LSB 1202YH (9) 88 da/rn 1/ 6

H.F. 724 natural resources department. 1 (7) A person appointed by the president of the university of 2 Iowa who is associated with the Iowa flood center. 3 (8) A person appointed by the president of the university of 4 Iowa who is associated with the center for global and regional 5 environmental research. 6 (9) The director of the Leopold center or a designee 7 appointed by the director. The director or the director’s 8 designee shall serve as the chairperson of the task force. 9 (10) (a) The following persons interested in agriculture 10 and the effects of climate change, or their designees, shall 11 be appointed by the governor: 12 (i) The chair of the Iowa chapter of the sierra club. 13 (ii) The executive director of the practical farmers of 14 Iowa. 15 (iii) The executive director of the women, food and 16 agriculture network. 17 (iv) The executive director to the Iowa organic 18 association. 19 (v) The president of the Iowa farmers union. 20 (vi) The executive director of the Izaak Walton league. 21 (vii) The executive director of the Iowa environmental 22 council. 23 (viii) The executive director of the center for rural 24 affairs. 25 (ix) The executive director of the Iowa interfaith power and 26 light. 27 (x) The president of the environmental law and policy 28 center. 29 (xi) The president of the Iowa farm bureau federation. 30 (xii) The president of the Iowa soybean association. 31 (xiii) The president of the Iowa corn growers association. 32 (xiv) The president of the Iowa pork producers. 33 (xv) The president of the Iowa poultry association. 34 (xvi) The president of the Iowa cattlemen’s association. 35 -2- LSB 1202YH (9) 88 da/rn 2/ 6

H.F. 724 (xvii) The chief executive officer of the Iowa agribusiness 1 association. 2 (b) Of the governor’s appointees, at least nine must be 3 actively engaged in farming. Of those persons actively engaged 4 in farming, at least one must be a woman, at least one must 5 belong to an ethnic or racial minority group, one must be 6 engaged in pasture-based livestock production, and one must 7 have received a majority of the person’s annual income from 8 agricultural production for less than five years. 9 b. The ex officio, nonvoting members of the task force shall 10 include all of the following: 11 (1) Two members of the senate. One senator shall be 12 appointed by the majority leader of the senate and one senator 13 shall be appointed by the minority leader of the senate. 14 (2) Two members of the house of representatives. One 15 member shall be appointed by the speaker of the house of 16 representatives and one member shall be appointed by the 17 minority leader of the house of representatives. 18 3. A majority of the voting members then appointed 19 constitutes a quorum, and the affirmative vote of a majority of 20 the voting members present is necessary for any action taken by 21 the task force, except that a lesser number of voting members 22 may adjourn a meeting. 23 4. A voting member appointed by the governor shall receive 24 actual expenses for their services. A member is not eligible 25 to receive compensation as provided in section 7E.6. 26 5. The appointments of voting members shall comply with the 27 political party affiliation and gender balance requirements of 28 sections 69.16 and 69.16A. 29 6. A vacancy in the membership shall not impair the right of 30 the task force to exercise all the rights and perform all the 31 duties of the task force. 32 7. The department of agriculture and land stewardship shall 33 provide office space, staff assistance, and necessary supplies 34 and equipment for the task force. Upon request, the task force 35 -3- LSB 1202YH (9) 88 da/rn 3/ 6

H.F. 724 shall receive assistance from state and local governments and 1 other entities, including but not limited to the department 2 of agriculture and land stewardship, department of natural 3 resources, the university of Iowa, Iowa state university of 4 science and technology, and the university of northern Iowa. 5 8. The task force shall meet on a regular basis and at the 6 call of the chairperson or upon the written request to the 7 chairperson of five or more voting members. 8 9. In order to achieve the objective provided in subsection 9 1, the task force shall prepare an agriculture climate 10 adaptation report. The report shall do all of the following: 11 a. Identify factors and trends attributable to climate 12 change that are projected to impact ecosystem processes that 13 support agricultural productivity. 14 b. Identify and evaluate available methods and technologies 15 that are proven to assist in mitigating the effects of climate 16 change on such processes. 17 c. Respond in detail to findings regarding the cumulative 18 effects of climate change on human activities and natural 19 processes regarding agriculture as provided in Volume II of 20 the publication entitled “Impacts, Risks, and Adaption in the 21 United States Fourth National Climate Assessment” as prepared 22 by the U.S. global change research program, and published 23 pursuant to the U.S. Global Research Act of 1990, Pub. L. No. 24 101-606. 25 10. The report may address the degree to which actions 26 further achieve the objective provided in subsection 1, 27 including but not limited to all of the following: 28 a. Practices that are environmentally sustainable that do 29 any of the following: 30 (1) Promote the health and preservation of soils, including 31 but not limited to cover crops, no-till planting, ridge-till 32 planting, contouring, and contour strip-cropping. 33 (2) Reduce and control the use of phosphorus and fertilizers 34 or nutrients which may include selection and rotation of crops 35 -4- LSB 1202YH (9) 88 da/rn 4/ 6

H.F. 724 and the planting of perennial plants 1 (3) Increase the use of pastures. 2 b. Practices that modify or manage the landscape, including 3 by the installation and maintenance of carbon sinks and carbon 4 sequestration systems; the establishment or restoration of 5 native prairies, wildlife or riparian habitats, wetlands, and 6 forests; and the production of alternative, specialty, and 7 perennial crops. 8 c. Methods to prevent or resist crop damage caused by 9 pathogens or pests, which may include the implementation of 10 integrated pest management practices or participation in 11 organic food production, including as provided in chapter 190C. 12 11. The report shall include recommendations necessary to 13 achieve the objective provided in subsection 1, including all 14 of the following: 15 a. Methods to provide technical and financial assistance 16 to agricultural producers seeking to improve agricultural 17 operations in a profitable, cost-effective, and timely manner. 18 b. Funding mechanisms that take into account all fiscal 19 matters related to implementing the report during the following 20 five-year period, including allocations to state agencies 21 responsible for administering actions recommended by the task 22 force. 23 c. Any proposed amendments to statutes or administrative 24 rules required to meet the objective provided in subsection 1. 25 12. Not later than December 13, 2019, the task force, 26 in cooperation with the department of agriculture and land 27 stewardship and the Leopold center, shall submit the report to 28 the governor and general assembly. 29 EXPLANATION 30 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 31 the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly. 32 This bill provides that it is the objective of this state to 33 reduce the impact of factors associated with climatic change 34 on ecosystem processes that support agricultural productivity. 35 -5- LSB 1202YH (9) 88 da/rn 5/ 6

H.F. 724 The bill establishes an agriculture climate adaptation task 1 force housed within the department of agriculture and land 2 stewardship and composed of voting members representing a 3 number of state agencies and private organizations interested 4 in agriculture and the environment. It also includes four 5 ex offico, nonvoting members of the general assembly. The 6 task force is charged to achieve the objective by preparing an 7 agriculture climate adaptation report (report). The purpose 8 of the report is to identify factors and trends attributable 9 to climate change that are projected to impact agricultural 10 productivity. The report must identify and evaluate available 11 methods and technologies to ameliorate the effects of climate 12 change on agriculture and include recommendations necessary to 13 achieve the objectives. The report must be submitted to the 14 governor and general assembly by December 13, 2019. 15 -6- LSB 1202YH (9) 88 da/rn 6/ 6