HF 2214 (LSB 5524YH (3) 89)

HOUSE FILE 2214

BY  SIEGRIST

A BILL FOR

An Act creating a restore the outdoors program to support vertical infrastructure projects by the department of natural resources, and making appropriations.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:

    Section 1.  NEW SECTION.  8.57D  Restore the outdoors program —— appropriation.
   1.  As used in this section, unless the context otherwise requires:
   a.  “Department” means the department of natural resources.
   b.  “Infrastructure” means vertical infrastructure as described in section 8.57, subsection 5, paragraph “c”.
   c.  “Program” means the restore the outdoors program created in this section.
   2.  A restore the outdoors program is created under the management of the department.
   3.  The purpose of the program is to finance infrastructure projects at existing state parks and other existing public facilities managed by the department. The projects must be for a major renovation or major repair of existing infrastructure or the construction of new infrastructure. However, the department shall not finance the new construction of infrastructure, unless any of the following apply:
   a.  There is an increased demand for the infrastructure.
   b.  It is not cost effective to repair or renovate the existing infrastructure.
   4.  There is appropriated from the rebuild Iowa infrastructure fund for each fiscal year of the period beginning July 1, 2022, and ending June 30, 2027, eight million dollars to the department to support the program.
   5.  Notwithstanding section 8.33, unencumbered or unobligated moneys appropriated to the department under this section that are remaining at the end of a fiscal year shall not revert but shall remain available for expenditure by the department during the following fiscal year to support the purpose of the program.
   6.  The department shall submit a report to the governor and general assembly not later than January 15 of each year detailing how moneys received by the department to finance completed and ongoing projects described in this section were expended and how moneys expected to be received by the department in future years to finance those projects are planned to be expended. The report shall include a description of projects involving roads, trails, and parking lots.
   7.  This section is repealed July 1, 2027.
EXPLANATION
The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with
the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly.
   PROGRAM. This bill creates a restore the outdoors program (program) under the management of the department of natural resources (DNR). The program is to finance certain projects at existing state parks and other existing public facilities managed by DNR. The projects must be for major repairs or major renovations of existing infrastructure unless new construction is justified on the basis of either an increase in demand or that the major repair or renovation would not be cost effective. DNR must submit an annual report to the governor and general assembly detailing past expenditures used to finance completed or ongoing projects and planned expenditures to finance future projects. The program is eliminated on July 1, 2027.
   INFRASTRUCTURE FUND —— APPROPRIATIONS. The bill appropriates $8 million from the rebuild Iowa infrastructure fund (Code section 8.57(5)) to DNR each fiscal year for a five-year period beginning July 1, 2022, and ending June 30, 2027, to support the program. As used in the bill, infrastructure refers to vertical infrastructure which includes items such as land, structures, utilities, and recreational trails, but excludes operational expenses (Code section 8.57(5)(c)).
   BACKGROUND. The provisions of the bill are based on provisions enacted in 1997 and partially item vetoed (1997 Iowa Acts, chapter 215, section 37) which established a restore the outdoors program managed by DNR (1997 Code Supplement section 461A.3A). The Act appropriated $3 million from the rebuild Iowa infrastructure fund for each fiscal year of a four-year period beginning July 1, 1997, and ending June 30, 2001, to support the program. In 2000, a provision to extend the annual appropriation until June 30, 2004, was vetoed (2000 Iowa Acts, chapter 1225, section 24). For three years, beginning in 2001, the program was supported by moneys appropriated from the tobacco settlement trust fund (2001 Iowa Acts, chapter 185, section 25; 2002 Iowa Acts, chapter 1173, section 1; and 2003 Iowa Acts, chapter 177, section 22). In 2013, the program ended with the repeal of Code section 461A.3A (2013 Iowa Acts, chapter 132, section 56).