SF 2308 – Enhance Iowa
FLOOR ACTION:
SF 2308 establishes an Enhance Iowa Board to assume the powers and the duties of the Vision Iowa Board, along with additional powers and duties. The board will include 11 voting members appointed by the Governor and eight ex-officio members. There is transition language to the new board from the old Vision Iowa Board that states the intent of the Legislature for the Governor to appoint at least three but not more than seven members of the Vision Iowa Board to the Enhance Iowa Board.
The bill establishes an Enhance Iowa Fund and a Sports Tourism Program and Fund. There is an appropriation of $25 million from the General Fund to the Enhance Iowa Fund for 10 fiscal years, beginning in FY17. The $25 million appropriation only occurs if the General Fund receives a transfer of more than $100 million in that fiscal year from the Iowa Economic Emergency Fund.
Allocation of the $25 million:
- $1 million for Sports Tourism (new program)
- $3 million for Community Attraction & Tourism Fund (CAT)
- $2 million for River Enhancement Community Attraction & Tourism Fund (RECAT)
- $6 million for grants, at the discretion of the Board to the Department of Natural Resources (DNR), Department of Transportation (DOT) or the Department of Agricultural & Land Stewardship (IDALS), divided in this manner:
- $2 million for State Parks Infrastructure (low head dam mitigation) or Natural Resources & Outdoor Recreation Trust Account.
- $2 million for the watershed protection account in the Natural Resources & Outdoor Recreation Trust Fund.
- $2 million for trails (DNR, DOT, IDALS).
- $11.75 million at the discretion of the Enhance Iowa Board for all programs and purposes from the above list.
- $250,000 to Iowa Economic Development Authority to administered and market the Enhance Iowa Program.
The purpose of Sports Tourism is to provide financial assistance for projects that promote sporting events for accredited colleges and universities, convention and visitors’ bureaus, a city, county or public organization. Projects are awarded based on:
- Impact on local, regional and state economies.
- Potential to attract Iowans and out-of-state visitors.
- Amount of positive advertising or media coverage the project generates.
- Quality, size and scope of the project.
- Ratio of public-to-private investment.
[4/6: 34-16 (Behn, Bisignano, Bowman, Breitbach, Costello, Dearden, Feenstra, Garrett, Guth, Kinney, Petersen, Rozenboom, Schultz, Sinclair, Smith, Whitver “no”)]