SF 272 – Conservation and recreation matter under DNR
SF 306 – Diversion of food waste from landfills
HF 311 – DNR water quality programs
HF 394 – Trappers lifetime license
FLOOR ACTION:
SF 272 is a bill proposed by the Department of Natural Resources relating to conservation and recreation activities under their jurisdiction. As amended during debate, the bill:
• Eliminates the requirement for a notary to sign a title transfer certificate during the sale of an all-terrain vehicle or a snowmobile. By eliminating the notary requirement, the title transfer process will mirror the existing process for automobiles.
• Repeals the Code section relating to the Restore the Outdoors program. This program has not been funded in many years, and the activities in the program are carried out by other programs. [3/27: 49-0 (McCoy absent)]
SF 306 requires Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to conduct a study and submit a report identifying barriers that prevent the diversion of food waste from landfills. Food waste represents a significant share of the waste at many landfills, and diverting the waste for other beneficial uses could help extend the life of landfills. The DNR shall consult with businesses and institutions that prepare and serve food to develop resources that can be used by restaurants, hospitals, schools, universities and others to help them reduce the amount of food waste they generate. The bill does not add regulations or requirements to food service establishments or other institutions. [3/27: 26-22, party line (Greiner, Feenstra absent)]
COMMITTEE ACTION:
HF 311 makes various changes to water quality programs under the Department of Natural Resources (DNR). These changes include:
• Reducing the number of newspaper notices for projects that operate under a general stormwater permit from two publications to one. These general permits are renewed by DNR every five years, and public comment on what in included in those permits occurs during that time. Activities covered under that permit must be approved by DNR and show that they will operate within the guidelines of the permit before they are approved. The notice provision provides public notice of an activity, but since the activity operates under the general permit, there is no public comment received because there will be no changes to the general permit. Reducing the number of notifications is a way of reducing the costs and shortening the time before a project can proceed.
• Conforms Iowa Code to align with recently updated federal regulations regarding the use of pesticides in waterways. Pesticides can be applied on or near a waterway under general permit regulations that are designed to ensure the proper use of the product. The pesticides are used to control invasive species.
• Allow an applicant for a water use allocation permit to request an extension of the 90-day timeframe for the approval or denial of an application. This would allow DNR more time to review the application, rather than issuing a denial because DNR did not have adequate time to review the application and give its approval before time expired.
• Allow residents who reside within the boundaries of rural communities to access funding through the onsite wastewater assistance program. The program is currently only available to those who reside outside of an incorporated city. This will allow smaller communities that need to upgrade their wastewater treatment options to use funding from the program to build a treatment facility that is a lower-cost option than a traditional lagoon system. [3/21: short form (Hogg, Johnson absent)]
HF 394 establishes a lifetime resident fur harvester license. There is currently a lifetime resident hunting or fishing license available to Iowans 65 and older, and this new license would mirror that. The cost of this lifetime license would be $50.50. [3/18: 48-0 (Chelgren, Sinclair absent)]