FLOOR ACTION:

HF 512 would allow a producer that wants to continue using a building that has been approved for a higher animal capacity to take a “time-out” without ceasing all production and then be able to bring the full building usage back on at a designated point in time. The bill would make changes to the calculation of the animal units for the purpose of compliance fees and filing of manure management plan updates by allowing the mothballing of facilities and not counting unused capacity in both fee and manure management calculations. Current Code requires the facilities to be razed and to be considered abandoned to eliminate the fees and management plans. For many producers, the destruction of a building is counterproductive. The bill would allow a producer to be exempt from a manure management plan update and the fees associated as long as the producer re-classifies on a new approved formula in an election period approved by the Department of Natural Resources (DNR). The DNR would be allowed to impose civil penalties not to exceed $10,000, while the Attorney General can apply a penalty of no more than $5,000. An amendment adopted in committee:

• Limits the bill to confinement operations that are close to the small animal feeding operation (500 animal units) threshold and who want relief from manure management plan and annual compliance fee requirements.

• Does not change the “election to be a small animal feeding operation” option and process as set forth in the bill.

• Limits the change in manner of calculating animal unit capacity to operations that elect to become a small animal feeding operation. [5/1: 43-6 (Bolkcom, Dearden, Jochum, Petersen, Quirmbach “no”; Hatch excused)]

HF 607 – Agricultural Development Authority to Iowa Finance Authority

FLOOR ACTION:

HF 152 allows changes to the management of drainage districts. In current law, drainage districts are under the jurisdiction of County Supervisors (or multiple boards). Over the years, the approximately 3,000 drainage jurisdictions have evolved and about 20 to 25 of those have transferred to another governmental board or private boards. Typically, those are managed by 3-person elected boards. When a district contains 20,000 acres or more, the district may divide into three election districts, which ensures fairer representation from all interested parties in the district. Jurisdiction may be transferred from one drainage or levee district to another, which ensures creating an overlying district and each district with jurisdiction over a portion of that territory is referred to as a contained district. That board may be county supervisors, a joint board of supervisors or a board of trustees. The dissolution of a district must include an election to dissolve the district, thereby opening the door for an overlying district to conduct a hearing and accept improvement and rights-of-way that have been surrendered or conduct an election of the land users. [4/22: 50-0]

HF 607 transfers the Agricultural Development Authority (IADA) from the Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship to the Iowa Finance Authority (IFA). The bill keeps all the same duties as the current IADA and but requires a five-member board appointed by the Governor. The IADA was created in 1980 to provide financial assistance to Iowa farmers. It has three basic programs: the beginning Farmer Loan Program, the Loan Participation program and the Beginning Farmer Tax Credit Program. [4/24: 49-0 (Johnson excused)]

HF 312 — Manure application certification program electronic option

HF 457 – DNR Ag land leases for beginning farmer preference

HF 599 – Beginning Farmer Tax Credits

HF 607 — Agricultural Development Authority to Iowa Finance Authority

FLOOR & COMMITTEE ACTION:

HF 312 requires the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to provide online courses for the manure application certification program. Implementation is contingent on a $250,000 General Fund appropriation and is repealed if no appropriation is made to the DNR by July 1, 2018. Individuals must be certified by the DNR to apply manure on land. They must pass an exam or attend a two/three-hour course taught by DNR or a department designee. [Floor 4/9:49-0 (Kapucian excused); Committee 4/4: short form]

HF 457 provides a preference to qualified beginning farmers for leases on agricultural land that the DNR holds and manages when existing leases expire. The bill prohibits DNR from leasing more than 240 acres of cropland, but does not limit the amount of land that might be grazed. The bill proposes that the DNR use past rental history, market factors and DNR-specified supplemental conservation practices, instead of competitive bid, for the lease amount. [Floor 4/10: 50-0; Committee 4/4: short form]

COMMITTEE ACTION:

HF 152 was introduced to allow for changes of the management of a drainage district. In current law, drainage districts were under the jurisdiction of County Supervisors (or multiple boards). Over the years, the approximate 3,000 drainage jurisdictions have evolved and about 20 to 25 of those have transferred to another governmental board or private boards. Typically, those are managed by 3-person elected boards. When a district contains 20,000 acres or more, the district may divide into three election districts, which ensures fairer representation from all interested parties in the district. Jurisdiction may be transferred from one drainage or levee district to another, which ensures creating an overlying district and each district with jurisdiction over a portion of that territory is referred to as a contained district. That board may be county supervisors, a joint board of supervisors or a board of trustees. The dissolution of a district must include an election to dissolve the district, thereby opening the door for an overlying district to conduct a hearing and accept improvement and rights-of-way that have been surrendered or conduct an election of the land users. [4/4: short form]

HF 599 increases the Beginning Farmer Tax Credits cap from $6 million to $12 million and restricts individual tax credits from exceeding $50,000. [4/4: short form]

HF 607 transfers the Agricultural Development Authority (IADA) to Iowa Finance Authority (IFA) from the Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship. The bill keeps all the same duties as the current IADA and but requires a five-member board appointed by the Governor. The IADA was created in 1980 to provide financial assistance to Iowa farmers. It has three basic programs: the beginning Farmer Loan Program, the Loan Participation program and the Beginning Farmer Tax Credit Program. [4/4: short form]

FLOOR ACTION:

SF 310 makes changes to Iowa Corn Promotion Board in three ways: (1) Reduces size of the Iowa Corn Promotion Board to consist of one director elected from each crop district in the state. The Corn Promotion Board will also include a three-person executive committee to create a 12-person board. Current law generally allows for two directors per district; (2) Increases maximum check-off assessment amount (but does not increase actual check-off) and increases the assessment amount ceiling. Current law states “a state assessment shall not exceed one cent per bushel of corn marketed in this state.” The bill increases the maximum cap of corn check-off from one cent to five cents per bushel; and (3) Cleans up other details, including providing the Iowa Corn Promotion Board with more flexibility by increasing the number of days allowed to process paperwork (from 30 days to 30 business days); changing requirements to meet once every three months to a minimum of three meetings per year; and removing the Iowa Economic Development Authority director as an ex-officio board member. [3/25: 27-22 (party line, with Boettger voting “yes”; Zaun excused)]

COMMITTEE ACTION:

SF 247 exempts the F-4 hybrid Bengal and Savannah cats from the dangerous wild animal list in Iowa. [3/18: 46-2 (Bowman, Petersen “no”; Chelgren, Sinclair absent)]

HF 458 – IDALS Departmental bill

FLOOR ACTION:

SF 316 would eliminate the exemption to the September 1 written notice to be given to a person that leases farmland of 40 acres or less of the desire to terminate the lease the next crop year. The language applies only to a mere cropper. Current law requires the notice for lease termination of more than 40 acres in writing by September 1 unless the parties make different arrangements. Different contracts can be written in terms of farm leases that can supersede the written notice or determination of terms of rental. [3/12: 47-1 (Chelgren “no”; Courtney, Greiner absent)]

HF 458 is the annual Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship (IDALS) departmental bill. This session’s bill addresses clean-up in areas of soil and water conservation districts, weights and measures, and motor fuel standards. [3/13: short form (Courtney, Greiner absent)] 

SF 310 – Corn Promotion Board check-off

SF 235 – ADA motor fuel pumps

SSB 1180 – CAFOs

SSB 1208 – Soil and Water Appropriation

SSB 1234 – Feed in tariffs

COMMITTEE ACTION:

SF 316 would eliminate the exemption to the September 1 written notice to be given to a person that leases farmland of 40 acres or less of the desire to terminate the lease the next crop year. The language applies only to a mere cropper. Current law requires the notice for lease termination of more than 40 acres in writing by September 1 unless the parties make different arrangements. Different contracts can be written in terms of farm leases that can supersede the written notice or determination of terms of rental. [2/28: short form. (Bowman absent)]

SSB 1180 would allow a producer that wants to continue using a building that has been approved for a higher animal capacity to take a “time-out” without ceasing all production and then be able to bring the full building usage back on at a designated point in time. The bill would make changes to the calculation of the animal units for the purpose of compliance fees and filing of manure management plan updates by allowing the mothballing of facilities and not counting unused capacity in both fee and manure management calculations. Current Code requires the facilities to be razed and to be considered abandoned to eliminate the fees and management plans. For many producers, the destruction of a building is counterproductive. The bill would allow a producer to be exempt from a manure management plan update and the fees associated as long as the producer re-classifies on a new approved formula in an election period approved by the Department of Natural Resources (DNR). The DNR would be allowed to impose civil penalties not to exceed $10,000, while the Attorney General can apply a penalty of no more than $5,000. An amendment adopted in committee:

• Limits the bill to confinement operations that are close to the small animal feeding operation (500 animal units) threshold and who want relief from manure management plan and annual compliance fee requirements.

• Does not change the “election to be a small animal feeding operation” option and process as set forth in the bill.

• Limits the change in manner of calculating animal unit capacity to operations that elect to become a small animal feeding operation. [2/28: short form (Greiner “no”)]

SF 235addresses accessibility issues relating to motor fuel pumps. A strike after amendment includes these provisions:

• Retail motor fuel sites in Iowa shall comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990.

• In addition to complying with the ADA, motor fuel sites must provide refueling assistance upon request by a person with disabilities. Sites are not required to provide service if it is a remote fuel site or there is only one employee on duty.

• Within six months of July 1, 2013, all sites must provide and display at least one ADA-compliant motor fuel pump with signage on or near the fuel dispenser that states hours of refueling assistance.

• The state Department of Agriculture must inspect pumps to ensure they are ADA compliant. If not compliant upon inspection or complaint, sites will be assessed $250 one-time fee and the pump will be closed.

• The ADA wheel chair symbol must be placed on the price board, which is usually on the street. [3/6: short form]

SF 310 makes changes to Iowa Corn Promotion Board in three ways: (1) Reduces size of the Iowa Corn Promotion Board to consist of one director elected from each crop district in the state. The Corn Promotion Board will also include a three-person executive committee to create a 12-person board. Current law generally allows for two directors per district; (2) Increases maximum check-off assessment amount (but does not increase actual check-off) and increases the assessment amount ceiling. Current law states “a state assessment shall not exceed one cent per bushel of corn marketed in this state.” An amendment adopted in committee increases the maximum cap of corn check-off from one cent to five cents per bushel; and (3) Cleans up other details, including providing the Iowa Corn Promotion Board with more flexibility by increasing the number of days allowed to process paperwork (from 30 days to 30 business days); changing requirements to meet once every three months to a minimum of three meetings per year; and removing the Iowa Economic Development Authority director as an ex-officio board member. [2/28: short form]

SSB 1208 appropriates funds from the Environment First Fund for the Iowa Department of Agriculture to support soil and water conservation administration, conservation of soil and water resources, and soil and water conservation district commissioners. [3/6: short form (Greiner “no”)]

SSB 1234 establishes a wind energy incentive program applicable to wind energy production facilities approved for participation in the program. A wind energy production facility with a name plate generating capacity of less than or equal to 20 megawatts that seeks to enter into an interconnection and power sales agreement with electric utility may submit an application for approval to the Iowa Utilities Board. [3/6: short form]

SSB 1143 – IDALS departmental bill

COMMITTEE ACTION:

SSB 1115 exempts the F-4 hybrid Bengal from the dangerous wild animal list in Iowa. An amendment was adopted in committee to include Savannah cats. [2/20: short form (Bowman “no”)]

SSB 1143 is the annual IDALS departmental bill. This session’s bill addresses clean-up in areas of soil and water conservation districts, weights and measures, and motor fuel standards. [2/20: short form (Bowman, Guth absent)]

SF 2269 – Wastewater disposal

SF 2311 – IDALS Dept. bill

HF 589 – Offenses to animal operations and livestock

HF 2092 – Year around farmers market and expand products

HF 2292 – Fish farms

SF 2172 changes how animal units are calculated to determine if a confinement feeding operation that includes a farrowing and gestating operation qualifies. Replacement breeding swine are not counted if two conditions are satisfied. First, the replacement breeding swine must be raised at the confinement feeding operation. Second, the replacement breeding swine must be used in the farrowing and gestating operation. The bill was amended on the Senate floor for facilities to comply with the manure management plan. [2/28: 50-0]

SF 2269 amends SF 321 from the 2011 legislative session. The bill authorized the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to adopt rules for standards for the disposal of wastewater from an on-farm processing operation that processes commodities into food, such as a dairy, creamery, winery, distillery and cannery. Currently, wastewater originating from the operation may be applied on land if a number of requirements are met. This bill eliminates the wastewater to be applied on land by a person licensed by the DNR to dispose of sewage. [3/5: 50-0]

SF 2311 is the annual “clean-up bill” for the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship (IDALS). It removes Code clutter and updates language changes. It covers such topics as swine brucellosis, Johne’s disease in dairy cattle, chronic wasting disease and sheep treatments. This bill was amended by the House to add two members on the Underground Storage Tank Board. [4/4: 46-0 (Bertrand, Horn, Houser, Kapucian excused)]

HF 589 creates a new Code section and a new crime called “agricultural production fraud.” It prohibits gaining access to an agricultural production facility, along with lying on a job application or employment agreement, with intent to commit fraud. The first offense is a serious misdemeanor with a penalty of imprisonment up to one year and fines from $315 to $1,875. The second offense is an aggravated misdemeanor with a penalty of imprisonment up to two years and fines between $625 and $6,250. [2/28: 40-10 (Bolkcom, Dvorsky, Jochum, Quirmbach, Danielson, Hatch, Mathis, Dotzler, Hogg, McCoy “no”)]

HF 2092 allows vendor annual permits for year-around farmers markets. [3/21:50-0]

HF 2292 provides that fish farms can be regulated under federal Pollutant Discharge Elimination System rules until the DNR creates state rules. This bill was amended to reflect the correct code citation. The drafter used the wrong code chapter in drafting. [4/3: 48-0 (Horn, Bertrand excused.]

HF 2292 – Fish farms

FLOOR ACTION:

HF 2292 provides that fish farms can be regulated under federal Pollutant Discharge Elimination System rules until the Iowa Department of Natural Resources creates state rules. This bill was amended to reflect the correct code citation. The drafter used the wrong code chapter in drafting. [4/3: 48-0 (Horn, Bertrand excused.]

SF 2311 is the annual “clean-up bill” for the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship (IDALS). It removes Code clutter and updates language changes. It covers such topics as swine brucellosis, Johne’s disease in dairy cattle, chronic wasting disease and sheep treatments. This bill was amended by the House to add two members on the Underground Storage Tank Board. [4/4: 46-0 (Bertrand, Horn, Houser, Kapucian excused)]