Bills › 89th General Assembly
Designating certain county flood mitigation activities as an essential county purpose
Sponsored by the Senate Ways and Means (successor To Ssb 1169) Committee
Where it is now
- Done: IntroducedFebruary 15, 2021
- Done: SubcommitteeMarch 3, 2021
- Done: Senate committeeFebruary 23, 2021
- Done: Passes the SenateApril 28, 202148–0
- Skipped: House committeeSkipped
- Done: Passes the HouseMarch 9, 2021
- Done: To the GovernorMay 10, 2021
- Done: Signed into lawMay 10, 2021
HF 523 became law → The same legislation passed as HF 523, so this version was set aside. Go to HF 523 What’s a funnel?
What’s in it
AI summary Iowa counties can now spend money on flood protection projects, like building levees or improving waterways, without needing a direct vote from citizens. This change allows county supervisors to take out loans or issue bonds to pay for these specific types of construction and property improvements. These projects can also include making the areas around flood controls look nicer or improving nearby streets.1
Read the official explanation
This bill amends the definition of essential county purpose to include the construction, reconstruction, and improvement of all waterways, and real and personal property, useful for the protection or reclamation of property from floods or high waters, and for the protection of property from the effects of flood waters, including the deepening, widening, alteration, change, diversion, or other improvement of watercourses, the construction of levees, embankments, structures, impounding reservoirs, pumping stations or conduits, and the establishment, improvement, and widening of streets, avenues, boulevards, and alleys across and adjacent to the project, as well as the development and beautification of the banks and other areas adjacent to flood control improvements. Under Code chapter 331, a county board of supervisors may generally contract indebtedness and approve the issuance of general obligation bonds to carry out an essential county purpose without approval by voters at an election, while the issuance of general obligation bonds to carry out a general county purpose generally requires approval by voters at election.