2013 End of Session Report

*Note:  All information is current as of May 22, 2013

The steady march of more normal soil and water conditions moved even farther west in the past week, the U.S. Drought Monitor reported Thursday.

Roughly the western half of the state, 53 percent of the acres, are at least abnormally dry. Just 6 .4 percent of the state is in moderate to severe, drought, and none of it is classified as extreme.

Parts of central Iowa remain abnormally dray, but some is ranked as normal conditions.

The severe drought is limited to a sliver along the Missouri River counties.

The National Weather Service’s long-term forecast through July 31 expects the drought to continue to ease.

Many farmers expect to start planting this weekend or early next week, according to the office of Agriculture Secretary Bill Northey.

From the Des Moines Register
By Perry Beeman

• Senate File 114 – Certificates of Deposit
• Senate File 115 – Intermediate Driver’s Licenses
• Senate File 146 – Watercraft Registration Fees
  
• Senate File 186 – UCC Funds Transfer
• Senate File 224 – License Fees
• Senate File 272 – DNR Registration
• Senate File 282 – In Rem Forfeitures
• Senate File 340 – Rail Transport Drivers
• Senate File 343 – Reserve Officers
• Senate File 355 – Overweight Vehicles
• Senate File 362 – Relative in CINA Case
• Senate File 388 – Water Quality Improvement Projects
• Senate File 389 – Hunter Safety Course

• House File 395 Franchise Agreements
• House File 457 DNR Farmland Lease Beginning Farmer Preference
• House File 500 Early Childhood Iowa Area Board
• House File 518 Manufactured Housing Progam
• House File 522 Aquatic Invasive Species
• House File 524 Commerical Rental Property Unpaid Water Bill Lien Prevention
• House File 530 ODCP Advisory
• House File 535 Confidential Permits
• House File 541 Dam Reconstruction Standards
• House File 547 Child Labor in Laundry Operations
• House File 549 Vaccine Administration
• House File 556 Substantive Code Editors Bill
• House File 565 Mechanics Lien Clean Up
• House File 574 Health Care Question on Income Tax
• House File 586 Rulemaking Authority
• House File 589 411 System Technical Bill
• House File 591 Probate and Trust Code Changes

With the first funnel over the House has narrowed down the bills that are still alive for consideration this session.

To see a list of the “Funnel Survivors” view the list below, organized by committee, of all bills that survived the first funnel in the House.

2013 First Funnel Survivors

2012 First Funnel Survivors

Omnibus Bill for FY 2012–

On Wednesday, May 4, 2011, the House passed Senate File 531 without amendment by an 81-aye to 13-nay vote. It finalizes legislative action on this bill. Earlier in the week on, the Senate passed Senate File 531 by a 48-aye to 1-nay vote. SF 531 makes a number of biofuels tax credit program changes. These include:

• Increase the incentive rates under Iowa Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) from the existing 6.5/4/2.5-cent rates to 8/6/4 rate for renewable fuel sales: at or above the scheduled RFS/below, but within 2% of the scheduled RFS/ more than 2% below but within 4% of the RFS;
• Change and truncate the E-85 tax credit: initially 25-cents (calendar years 2006-2008), 20-cents (2009-2010), and currently 10-cents for calendar year 2011 and declining a penny a year to 1-cent in 2020; to establish a new constant 16-cent rate, but ends this tax credit three year earlier (12/312017 instead of 12/31/2020);
• Creates a mid-ethanol blend tax credit of 3-cents per gallon for E-15 Plus for calendar years 2012-2014 and 2-cents for calendar year 2015-2017;
• Transfer each year up to $3-million per year of moneys previously being deposited in to the UST (reduces UST transfer from $17-million annually to $14-million) to the Renewable Fuels Infrastructure Fund.
• Provide broad liability protection for retailers who properly label and dispense biofuels;
• Modifies the existing biodiesel tax credit earned for B-2 sales when a threshold of 50% of diesel sales is biodiesel to eliminate the minimum threshold. Additionally, SF 531 changes the B2 tax credit to 2-cent for calendar year 2012, and institutes a 4.5-cent B-5 or higher tax credit beginning 1/1/2012 through 12/31//2017;
• Permits retailer flexibility in calculating RFS and tax credits to allow them the choice of existing law (on a company-wide basis or on a site-by-site basis;
• Creates a 3-year Refundable Biodiesel Producer Sales/Use Tax Credit of 3-cents per gallon of biodiesel for calendar year 2012, 2.5-cents in 2013, and 2-cents in 2014 for up to 25-million gallons per year that is produced at Iowa biodiesel facilities.

They are as follows:

Administration and Rules Committee: Rep. Renee Schulte, Chair (R-Cedar Rapids)
Administrative Rules Review Committee: Rep. Dawn Pettengill, Chair (R-Mount Auburn)
Education Committee: Rep. Greg Forristall, Chair (R-Macedonia)
Environmental Protection Committee: Rep. Steve Olson, Chair (R-DeWitt)
Ethics Committee: Rep. Kevin Koester, Chair (R-Ankeny)
Government Oversight Committee: Rep. Chris Hagenow, Chair (R-Windsor Heights)
Human Resources Committee: Rep. Linda Miller, Chair (R-Bettendorf)
Judiciary Committee: Rep. Rich Anderson (R-Clarinda)
Local Government Committee: Rep. Nick Wagner, Chair (R-Marion)
Natural Resources Committee: Rep. Henry Rayhons, Chair (R-Garner)
Public Safety Committee: Rep. Clel Baudler, Chair (R-Greenfield)
Veterans Affairs Committee: Rep. Royd Chambers, Chair (R-Sheldon)

“There will be several important issues that come out of these committees this year and I’m pleased these chairs will be the ones leading those discussions,” said Paulsen. “These leaders are committed to serving Iowans and getting them back to work.”