Relating to and making appropriations involving state government entities involved with agriculture, natural resources, and environmental protection, and making related statutory changes, and including effective date provisions

GENERAL. This bill relates to agriculture and natural resources by making appropriations for the fiscal year 2022-2023 to support related entities, including the department of agriculture and land stewardship (DALS), the department of natural resources (DNR), Iowa state university (ISU), and the university of Iowa (UI). The bill primarily appropriates moneys to DALS and DNR. The appropriations are made to support those departments for administration, regulation, and support of programs. The bill requires the departments to submit quarterly reports to the general assembly and department of management regarding the expenditure of appropriated moneys. The bill also provides moneys to support specific programs or projects administered by those departments. Appropriations are made to support the water quality initiative (WQI) administered by DALS. The bill primarily appropriates moneys from the state general fund (GF) and the environment first fund (EFF) to support DALS and DNR but also UI and ISU, and to support a number of designated activities, projects, and programs administered by those agencies. General appropriations are made from other major sources, including the state fish and game protection fund (SFGPF) and the groundwater protection fund (GPF) both administered by DNR. Finally, appropriations are made from and to a number of dedicated sources, including the resources enhancement and protection (REAP) fund administered by DNR, and the renewable fuel infrastructure fund (RFIF) and the water quality initiative fund (WQIF) administered by DALS. DALS —— GF APPROPRIATIONS. The bill appropriates moneys to DALS from the GF in order to support its administrative divisions, including consumer protection and industry services, soil conservation, and food safety and animal health. Moneys are transferred to ISU to support its midwest grape and wine industry institute. DALS —— MISCELLANEOUS SOURCES —— DESIGNATED APPROPRIATIONS. The bill appropriates moneys from several sources to support a number of designated purposes, including moneys derived from unclaimed winnings from horse and dog races, for administration and enforcement of racing regulations; and moneys credited to the RFIF, for purposes of regulating motor fuel. DALS —— SPECIAL GF APPROPRIATIONS. The bill makes special appropriations from the GF to DALS in order to support specific purposes including milk inspection, the local food and farm program, an agricultural education organization, foreign animal disease preparedness, assistance to farmers with disabilities, loess hills protections, southern Iowa development and conservation, grain regulation, and a value added agriculture grant program. DALS —— GF APPROPRIATIONS —— WATER QUALITY. The bill appropriates moneys from the GF to DALS for deposit in the WQIF, to support the WQI including high-priority watershed projects. DNR —— GF AND OTHER MAJOR FUNDS APPROPRIATIONS. The bill makes appropriations from a number of funds to DNR in order to support its administrative divisions involving natural resources and environmental protection from the GF, the SFGPF, and the GPF. DNR —— MISCELLANEOUS SOURCES —— DESIGNATED APPROPRIATIONS. The bill appropriates moneys to DNR from a number of sources to support designated purposes, including moneys deposited in the special snowmobile fund to provide for administering and enforcing the state snowmobile programs; and moneys deposited in the unassigned revenue fund for purposes of paying for administration of DNR’s underground storage tanks section. DNR —— SPECIAL GF APPROPRIATIONS. The bill makes special appropriations from the GF to DNR in order to support specific purposes including floodplain management, dam safety and forestry health management programs, and state parks. ISU —— SPECIAL GF APPROPRIATIONS. The bill appropriates moneys from the GF to ISU to support the operation of its veterinary diagnostic laboratory and livestock disease research. UI —— SPECIAL GF APPROPRIATIONS. The bill makes appropriations from the GF to UI to support the operations of Iowa’s center for agricultural safety and health which is part of UI’s college of public health. DALS, DNR, AND UI —— EFF —— GENERAL APPROPRIATIONS. The bill appropriates moneys from the EFF to support a number of programs administered by DALS, DNR, and UI. For DALS, the moneys are appropriated to support programs involving soil conservation, watershed protection and nutrient management, and the loess hills development and conservation fund. For DNR, moneys are appropriated to support programs involving state parks, geographic information systems, water quality monitoring, public water supplies, regulation of animal feeding operations, air quality, and floodplain management and dam safety. For UI, moneys are appropriated to support the Iowa geological survey. The bill includes provisions that delay the reversion of these moneys. EFF —— SPECIAL APPROPRIATIONS FOR WQI. The bill appropriates moneys from the EFF to the WQIF subject to the same conditions applicable to moneys appropriated to the fund from the GF. REAP FUND —— EFF APPROPRIATION IN LIEU OF GF APPROPRIATION. The bill appropriates moneys from the EFF to the REAP fund instead of the $20 million otherwise required to be appropriated to the REAP fund from the GF. Notwithstanding the standing allocation from the REAP fund to its open spaces account, DNR may use moneys in the account for state park maintenance and repair. DALS —— GF CONTINGENT APPROPRIATIONS. The bill appropriates moneys from the GF to DALS for deposit in the RFIF instead of moneys deposited in the RFIF from the GF as a standing limited appropriation. However, the provisions are contingent upon the enactment of pending legislation providing for renewable fuels as originally proposed by the governor. The bill also appropriates moneys from the GF to DALS to the choose Iowa fund to support a choose Iowa promotional program to increase the sale and purchase of Iowa products. However, the provisions are contingent upon the enactment of pending legislation originally proposed by DALS that creates the fund and program. STATUTORY PROVISIONS —— DALS —— VALUE ADDED AGRICULTURE GRANT PROGRAM. The bill amends a provision enacted in 2021 that appropriated moneys to DALS for the administration of a value added agricultural grant program. The bill provides that DALS has until June 30, 2023, to obligate or encumber any remaining appropriated moneys before those moneys revert to the general fund. This provision takes effect upon enactment. STATUTORY PROVISIONS —— DNR —— CONSERVATION OFFICERS. The bill provides that a person other than supervisory personnel appointed by the DNR director to enforce state laws and departmental rules must be classified as a conservation officer by a date determined by DNR but not later than June 30, 2024. The bill provides that the reclassification does not affect the status of persons waiting to be reclassified. Such persons are still entitled to have the same powers conferred upon peace officers, must still retire at age 65, and have the same right to participate in group health insurance plans provided by the state. The provisions allowing for this special status are eliminated on July 1, 2024. STATUTORY PROVISIONS —— DNR —— OCCUPANCY OF HOUSING IN STATE PARKS. The bill provides that a DNR employee who on January 1, 2022, occupied a state-owned residence located within a state park may continue to occupy that residence until June 30, 2024, under the same terms and conditions that applied on the date that the employee first occupied the residence. The provision allowing for the occupancy is eliminated on July 1, 2024.