Agriculture Committee Report – Week 15, 2019

FLOOR ACTION:

HF 750 – IDALS departmental bill

SF 599 – Creating industrial hemp commodity

FLOOR ACTION:

HF 750 – IDALS departmental bill

HF 750 makes changes within the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship (IDALS) and the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR). Changes include:

  • The name of the Weather Bureau is changed to the Climatology Bureau to reflect current practice.
  • IDALS rather than DNR may award demonstration grants to those who purchase motor vehicles that use alternative fuels. DNR has not issued a grant in the past 10 years.
  • Eliminating a provision authorizing IDALS and DNR to create one or more watershed demonstration projects.
  • Authorizing IDALS to use money from the Agriculture Management Account of the Groundwater Protection Fund to support programs, projects and activities to improve surface or ground water.
    [4/23: 49-0 (Absent: Petersen)]

 

SF 599 – Creating industrial hemp commodity

SF 599 creates an industrial hemp commodity within the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship. The Department will oversee production, regulation and enforcement of industrial hemp, along with establishing fees. The Department must conduct an annual inspection of crop sites to ensure hemp tests register less than 0.3% THC. An amendment was added by the Iowa House to include a “bill of lading” by IDALS when a hemp product is transported.
[4/24: 49-1 (No: Whiting)]