House File 749 - Introduced HOUSE FILE 749 BY COMMITTEE ON NATURAL RESOURCES (SUCCESSOR TO HF 647) A BILL FOR An Act creating a restore the outdoors program to support 1 vertical infrastructure projects by the department of 2 natural resources, and making appropriations. 3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 4 TLSB 2377HV (1) 89 da/ns

H.F. 749 Section 1. NEW SECTION . 8.57D Restore the outdoors program 1 —— appropriation. 2 1. As used in this section, unless the context otherwise 3 requires: 4 a. “Department” means the department of natural resources. 5 b. “Infrastructure” means vertical infrastructure as 6 described in section 8.57, subsection 5, paragraph “c” . 7 c. “Program” means the restore the outdoors program created 8 in this section. 9 2. A restore the outdoors program is created under the 10 management of the department. 11 3. The purpose of the program is to finance infrastructure 12 projects at existing state parks and other existing public 13 facilities managed by the department. The projects must 14 be for a major renovation or major repair of existing 15 infrastructure or the construction of new infrastructure. 16 However, the department shall not finance the new construction 17 of infrastructure, unless any of the following apply: 18 a. There is an increased demand for the infrastructure. 19 b. It is not cost effective to repair or renovate the 20 existing infrastructure. 21 4. There is appropriated from the rebuild Iowa 22 infrastructure fund for each fiscal year of the period 23 beginning July 1, 2021, and ending June 30, 2024, three million 24 dollars to the department to support the program. 25 5. Notwithstanding section 8.33, unencumbered or 26 unobligated moneys appropriated to the department under this 27 section that are remaining at the end of a fiscal year shall 28 not revert but shall remain available for expenditure by the 29 department during the following fiscal year to support the 30 purpose of the program. 31 6. The department shall submit a report to the governor 32 and general assembly not later than January 10 of each year 33 detailing how moneys received by the department to finance 34 completed and ongoing projects described in this section 35 -1- LSB 2377HV (1) 89 da/ns 1/ 3

H.F. 749 were expended and how moneys expected to be received by the 1 department in future years to finance those projects are 2 planned to be expended. 3 7. This section is repealed July 1, 2025. 4 EXPLANATION 5 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 6 the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly. 7 PROGRAM. This bill creates a restore the outdoors program 8 (program) under the management of the department of natural 9 resources (DNR). The program is to finance certain projects 10 at existing state parks and other existing public facilities 11 managed by DNR. The projects must be for major repairs 12 or major renovations of existing infrastructure unless new 13 construction is justified on the basis of either an increase in 14 demand or that the major repair or renovation would not be cost 15 effective. DNR must submit an annual report to the governor 16 and general assembly detailing past expenditures used to 17 finance completed or ongoing projects and planned expenditures 18 to finance future projects. The program is eliminated on July 19 1, 2025. 20 INFRASTRUCTURE FUND —— APPROPRIATIONS. The bill 21 appropriates $3 million from the rebuild Iowa infrastructure 22 fund (Code section 8.57(5)) to DNR each fiscal year for a three 23 year period beginning July 1, 2021, and ending June 30, 2024, 24 to support the program. As used in the bill, infrastructure 25 refers to vertical infrastructure which includes items such 26 as land, structures, utilities, and recreational trails, but 27 excludes operational expenses (Code section 8.57(5)(c)). 28 BACKGROUND. The provisions of the bill are based on 29 provisions enacted in 1997 and partially item vetoed (1997 Iowa 30 Acts, chapter 215, section 37) which established a restore 31 the outdoors program managed by DNR (1997 Code Supplement 32 section 461A.3A). The Act also appropriated $3 million from 33 the rebuild Iowa infrastructure fund for each fiscal year of 34 a four-year period beginning July 1, 1997, and ending June 35 -2- LSB 2377HV (1) 89 da/ns 2/ 3

H.F. 749 30, 2001, to support the program. In 2000, a provision to 1 extend the annual appropriation until June 30, 2004, was 2 vetoed (2000 Iowa Acts, chapter 1225, section 24). For three 3 years, beginning in 2001, the program was supported by moneys 4 appropriated from the tobacco settlement trust fund (2001 Iowa 5 Acts, chapter 185, section 25; 2002 Iowa Acts, chapter 1173, 6 section 1; and 2003 Iowa Acts, chapter 177, section 22). In 7 2013, the program ended with the repeal of Code section 461A.3A 8 (2013 Iowa Acts, chapter 132, section 56). 9 -3- LSB 2377HV (1) 89 da/ns 3/ 3