Ways & Means Committee Report — Week 13, 2018

SF 2391 – Fees for amended birth certificate;
SF 2398 – Industrial hemp;
SF 2399 – Exemption from income tax for Olympic and Paralympic awards;
SF 2400 – Local government risk pools;
SF 2401 – Boat registration process improvements. 

 

FLOOR ACTION:

SF 2391 allows the clerks of court to receive the fee from adoptive families or their representatives that will be sent to the Department of Public Health along with the certificate of adoption so that a new birth certificate can be processed in a timely manner.
[4/4: 49-0]

 

SF 2398 would establish state regulation for industrial hemp production, marketing and research. The most recent federal Farm Bill removed the restriction on industrial hemp and allowed states to authorize production. Industrial hemp means any part of the cannabis sativa plant, whether growing or not, with a concentration of delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) that does not exceed the maximum concentration for the plant set in legislation. The bill establishes a rigorous structure for registering industrial-hemp-related businesses to ensure the product grown complies with federal restrictions and that all activities are legitimate. The bill does not allow a business registered to produce industrial hemp to manufacture cannabidiol oil.
[4/4: 49-0]

 

COMMITTEE ACTION:

SF 2399 exempts prize money received from the United States Olympic Committee or the value of any medal awarded because of participation in the Olympics or Paralympic Games from the calculation of income for income tax purposes. This exemption is not available to taxpayers with an income greater than $1 million or greater than $500,000 when a married person is filing separately on a combined return or filing a separate return.
[3/29: short form]

 

SF 2400 allows library districts to participate in the Iowa Community Assurance Pool (ICAP), which is a local government risk pool. The bill also amends current law for townships, 28E organizations, emergency management agencies, empowerment boards, transit authorities and county fairs to allow them the same coverage under the risk pool as cities and counties. Cities and counties have coverage against employee theft through the risk pool, but the other organizations are limited to liability coverage. The bill will allow all covered local governments to acquire coverage against employee theft under ICAP.
[3/29: short form]

 

SF 2401 updates the Iowa Code regarding the process for registration and titling of boats and other vessels. Boat and vessel registration is now done using an electronic licensing system. These changes will improve the process. Changes include:

  • Allowing an owner to register their vessel with any county recorder rather than the county where the vessel was initially registered.
  • Allowing a 60-day grace period for renewal of a boat registration. Boat registrations expire on April 30, prior to the time most owners take their vessel onto the water. Owners could renew prior to June 1 without having to pay a $5 late fee.
  • Allowing an owner to initially register their vessel for shorter than the three-year registration period. This allows the owner to prorate the fee and align the registration with the timeline for renewal.
  • Allowing a title to be used to sell or transfer a vessel. Currently, the transfer or sale requires completing a form on the original registration certificate.
  • Removing the requirement for a notarial to witness the application for a title after acquiring a vessel.

The bill also increases from 15 to 30 the number of days a snowmobile, all-terrain vehicle or vessel dealer has to send fees and applications to transfer a vehicle requiring a title.
[3/29: short form]