ElkHunter
Life Member
Iowa Bowhunters Association
Legislative Update
Week 15
Legislative Update
Week 15
There has been no movement on SF533 or HF538. We will continue to monitor; we are certain it will move quickly when legislature feels the time is right.
Senator Driscoll (Sen. From Iowa County) has offered an amendment to SF553, A bill to allow nonresident family members to obtain a deer license without going through the lottery process.
https://www.legis.iowa.gov/legislation/BillBook?ga=90&ba=S-3143
The amendment reserves 500 of the current 6000 nonresident tags for nonresident family members.
We all need to email our Senator and remind them that they supported a three year study for deer population management. This study was agreed to by both agriculture and outdoor parties. This study is supposed to come up with solutions to the deer population problems and they need to wait until the study is completed before making changes to existing deer hunting rules and regulations. The study is part of SF581 from last year's session. Every Republican voted in favor of SF581.
There is some legislation that still need our attention. SF553,
https://www.iowabowhunters.org/takeaction.html
HF538 (formerly HF 449) - Physical Therapists To Sign For Crossbows (U) - The bill allows a person’s
physical therapist to sign an application declaration allowing a person with disabilities to use a crossbow.
On House debate calendar
HF 317 (formerly HF 118) - Nuisance Animal Killing (A) - Under the bill, an owner or tenant of agricultural
property or an associated residence, may take, capture, shoot, or temporarily possess, for the purpose of
destroying or disposing of, a raccoon, opossum, or skunk without receiving prior permission if the owner or
tenant deems the animal to be a nuisance. The bill also specifies that the taking of the animal can only take
place outside of the corporate limits of a city; allows for only the use of cage traps or dog-proof traps; and adds
the legal standard of “good faith” that would be required for anyone who wishes to take a nuisance animal.
Amended and approved by the House 87-11. Approved by the Senate 48-2.Ready for Governor to sign
SF 550 (formerly SSB 1125) - Tax Policy and Natural Resource Funding (F) - The bill increases the sales tax
rate and the use tax rate from 6 percent to 7 percent beginning January 1, 2025.
The bill changes the water service tax on the furnishing of water to consumers so that the rate is equal to the
rate of the sales tax. Currently, one-half of the moneys collected from the water service tax are deposited into
the general fund of the state and one-half of the moneys are deposited into the water quality financial
assistance fund. The bill strikes the provision requiring one-half of the water service tax moneys be deposited
into the water quality financial assistance fund and requires all moneys generated from the water service tax
be deposited into the general fund of the state.
The bill also distributes the funds directed into the Natural Resources Trust Fund as follows:
- Twenty-three percent of moneys credited to the fund are allocated to a natural resources account
administered by DNR to support initiatives related to state lands, wildlife, recreation, natural habitat,
rivers and streams, and education. The bill provides that moneys in the account are to be used for the
construction, maintenance, or expansion of roads on state-owned land under DNR’s jurisdiction, and to
support salaries and benefits paid to conservation officers, park rangers, or park managers;
- Twenty percent of moneys credited to the fund are allocated to the soil conservation and water
protection account to support soil conservation practices, the conservation of highly erodible land, and
soil conservation or crop management practices used in biomass production.
- The bill expressly provides that for each fiscal year, at least 10 percent of moneys in the account must
be used to support the planting and maintenance of cover crops.
The bill also prohibits a charitable conservation contribution tax credit from being claimed against the individual
or corporate income tax, except for qualified real property interests conveyed prior to January 1, 2025.
On Senate debate calendar
SF 548 (formerly SSB 1129) - Forest Reserve Program Changes (A) - The bill provides that for the assessment
year beginning January 1, 2024, the amount of the exemption for each qualifying reservation shall be that
portion of the actual value of the reservation that exceeds an amount equal to the product of the number of
acres of the reservation multiplied by 25 percent of the county valuation per acre of agricultural property
determined pursuant to Code section 441.21(1)(e) for the same assessment year.
For the assessment year beginning January 1, 2025, and each succeeding assessment year, the amount of
the exemption for each qualifying reservation shall be that portion of the actual value of the reservation that
exceeds an amount equal to the product of the number of acres of the reservation multiplied by 50 percent of
the county valuation per acre of agricultural property determined pursuant to Code section 441.21(1)(e) for the
same assessment year.
On Senate debate calendar
HF - House File HSB - House Study Bill SF - Senate File SSB - Senate Study Bill
(O) – Oppose
(S) – Support
(M)- Monitoring
(NR)- Not registered; meaning our lobbyist has not declared our position yet.