HSB 562 (LSB 5085YC (2) 91)

HOUSE FILE _____ 

BY  (PROPOSED COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION BILL BY CHAIRPERSON JONES)

A BILL FOR

An Act creating a study committee on the feasibility of implementing wildlife crossings at certain highway locations.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:

    Section 1.  DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION —— STUDY COMMITTEE —— FEASIBILITY OF IMPLEMENTING WILDLIFE CROSSINGS AT HIGHWAY LOCATIONS.
   1.  The department of transportation shall convene a study committee to produce a report on the feasibility of implementing wildlife crossings at certain highway locations with high rates of vehicle crashes involving animals. The department of transportation shall file the study committee’s report with the general assembly on or before January 11, 2027.
   2.  The membership of the study committee shall consist of all of the following persons or that person’s designee:
   a.  The director of transportation.
   b.  The director of the department of natural resources.
   c.  The director of the institute for transportation at Iowa state university of science and technology.
   3.  The study committee’s report must include all of the following:
   a.  A data-driven ranking of the highway locations in Iowa with the highest number of vehicle crashes involving animals. Such data must be derived from information the committee gathers including statistics regarding average highway traffic volume, animal carcass removals, vehicle crash reports for crashes involving an animal, animal habitat and migration data, and any other data the committee deems relevant. The ranking of highway locations must include adjustments for unreported vehicle crashes involving animals.
   b.  Recommendations to the general assembly on implementing countermeasures to reduce the frequency of vehicle crashes involving animals at specific highway locations, or within specific highway corridors, including but not limited to constructing highway overpasses or underpasses, and adding or improving fencing along the highway.
   c.  Preliminary costs and crash-reduction estimates, including benefit-to-cost ratios using the latest cost-benefit analysis parameters.
   d.  A grant request strategy and timeline aligned to applicable federal funding schedules, including for grants awarded by the United States department of transportation, through the federal highway administration for the wildlife crossings pilot program.
   4.  The study committee shall adopt reporting milestones and data standards to utilize while studying the feasibility of implementing wildlife crossings at certain highway locations. The department of transportation shall make available on the department’s internet site a study committee dashboard so members of the public can follow the study committee’s progress.
   5.  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.
   This bill directs the department of transportation (DOT) to convene a study committee (committee) with the department of natural resources and the institute for transportation at Iowa state university of science and technology to produce a report on the feasibility of implementing wildlife crossings at certain highway locations with high rates of vehicle crashes involving animals. The bill requires the DOT to file the committee’s report with the general assembly no later than January 11, 2027.
   The bill sets forth specific requirements for the committee to follow and specific data the committee must analyze when making its report. The DOT is required to make available on the DOT’s internet site a committee dashboard so members of the public can follow the committee’s progress.