Senate
File
502
-
Introduced
SENATE
FILE
502
BY
COMMITTEE
ON
TRANSPORTATION
(SUCCESSOR
TO
SF
273)
A
BILL
FOR
An
Act
relating
to
the
railroad
revolving
loan
and
grant
1
fund
by
making
moneys
available
for
certain
projects
and
2
prioritizing
grants
and
loans
for
certain
purposes.
3
BE
IT
ENACTED
BY
THE
GENERAL
ASSEMBLY
OF
THE
STATE
OF
IOWA:
4
TLSB
1910SV
(2)
90
th/ns
S.F.
502
Section
1.
Section
327H.20A,
subsection
1,
paragraph
a,
1
Code
2023,
is
amended
to
read
as
follows:
2
a.
Grants
or
loans
to
provide
assistance
for
the
3
restoration,
conservation,
improvement,
and
construction
of
4
railroad
main
lines,
branch
lines,
switching
yards,
sidings,
5
rail
connections,
intermodal
yards,
transload
facilities,
6
railroad
bridges,
highway
grade
separations,
and
other
7
railroad-related
improvements.
8
Sec.
2.
Section
327H.20A,
subsection
2,
Code
2023,
is
9
amended
to
read
as
follows:
10
2.
The
department
shall
administer
a
program
for
the
11
granting
and
administration
of
to
make
loans
and
award
grants
12
under
this
section
.
Beginning
January
1,
2024,
the
department
13
shall
prioritize
granting
and
loaning
moneys
to
railroad
14
corporations
for
the
purposes
described
in
subsection
1,
15
paragraph
“a”
,
and
any
moneys
not
so
granted
or
awarded
shall
16
then
be
made
available
for
economic
development
projects
17
described
in
subsection
1,
paragraph
“b”
.
The
department
may
18
establish
a
limit
on
the
amount
that
may
be
awarded
as
a
grant
19
for
any
given
project
in
order
to
maximize
the
use
of
the
20
moneys
in
the
fund.
The
department
may
enter
into
agreements
21
with
railroad
corporations,
the
United
States
government,
22
cities,
counties,
and
other
persons
for
carrying
out
the
23
purposes
of
this
section
.
24
EXPLANATION
25
The
inclusion
of
this
explanation
does
not
constitute
agreement
with
26
the
explanation’s
substance
by
the
members
of
the
general
assembly.
27
The
department
of
transportation
(DOT)
controls
a
railroad
28
revolving
loan
and
grant
fund.
Moneys
in
the
fund
are
used
29
to
provide
assistance
for
the
restoration,
conservation,
30
improvement,
and
construction
of
railroad
main
lines,
branch
31
lines,
switching
yards,
sidings,
rail
connections,
intermodal
32
yards,
highway
grade
separations,
and
other
railroad-related
33
improvements,
and
for
rail
economic
development
projects
that
34
improve
rail
facilities,
including
the
construction
of
branch
35
-1-
LSB
1910SV
(2)
90
th/ns
1/
2
S.F.
502
lines,
sidings,
rail
connections,
intermodal
yards,
and
other
1
rail-related
improvements
that
spur
economic
development
and
2
job
growth.
The
DOT
administers
a
program
for
the
granting
3
and
administration
of
applicable
loans
and
grants,
and
may
4
establish
a
limit
on
the
amount
that
may
be
awarded
for
any
5
given
project
in
order
to
maximize
the
use
of
the
moneys
in
the
6
fund.
7
This
bill
adds
transload
facilities
and
railroad
bridges
8
to
the
list
of
projects
for
which
a
grant
may
be
awarded
or
a
9
loan
may
be
made.
The
bill
requires
the
DOT
to
prioritize,
10
beginning
January
1,
2024,
granting
and
loaning
moneys
to
11
railroad
corporations
for
the
restoration,
conservation,
12
improvement,
and
construction
projects
described
in
Code
13
section
327H.20A(1)(a)
before
providing
moneys
for
rail
14
economic
development
projects
described
in
Code
section
15
327H.20A(1)(b).
16
-2-
LSB
1910SV
(2)
90
th/ns
2/
2