Iowa Utility-Related Legislation
Getting information about Iowa legislation is easy. Missouri River Energy Services continuously monitors bills introduced in the Iowa General Assembly that could affect electric utilities in the State of Iowa. The 2008 Iowa General Assembly convened January 14, 2008, and adjourned sine die April 26, 2008.
Who are my legislators?
Find out who represents your utility interests on the Iowa Legislature website. You may also find information on MRES area legislators in the MRES® Iowa Legislative Guide.
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| Below is a list of the House and Senate file numbers of each bill and a short summary of the effect of the bill. For more information about a particular bill, click on the bill number. Iowa uses a biennium process; bills introduced in 2007 may be carried over to the 2008 session.
Senate Bills:
SF 309: Transferring the Environmental Protection Commission, currently under the Department of Natural Resources to its own Department.
Status: Passed Natural Resources Committee 2/28/07. Fiscal Note filed 3/5/07. Referred to Appropriations 3/13/07. Subcommittee assigned (Dvorsky, Angelo, Black, Bolkcom, Gaskill) 3/27/07. Failed Second Funnel deadline.
SF 355: A bill to establish a community based energy projects program.
Status: Introduced and referred to Natural Resources & Environment 3/5/07. Committee report recommending passage 3/8/07. Referred to Ways and Means 3/29/07. Subcomittee assigned (Hogg, Bolkcom, Noble) 4/4/07. No further action taken before end of session. Despite failing bill deadlines in 2007; this bill may likely be resurrected yet in 2008. Bill received no serious consideration in 2008.
SF 394: Allowing a tax credit for biomass that substitutes for at least 75% coal.
Status: Introduced and referred to Senate Ways and Means 3/7/07. Subcommittee assigned (Hogg, Schmitz, Ward) 3/12/07. No further action taken before end of session.
SF 413: A bill to require that when a non-union public employees gets benefits due to collective bargaining, the union may charge a "fair share fee."
Status: Formerly SSB 1322, it passed Senate Labor and Business. Renumbered as SF 413, 3/7/07. Passed Senate (28-21) 3/8/07. Referred to House Labor. Committee recommends passage 3/12/07. Amendments filed 3/14 and 3/15. Fiscal Note 3/21/07. Placed on House calendar under Unfinished Business 4/12/07. No further action taken before end of session. Assigned subcommittee (T. Taylor, Horbach, Hunter) 1/24/08. No further action taken.
SF 438: Establishes a local government energy innovation competitive grant program.
Status: Passed Senate Natural Resources and Environment and was renumbered as SF 438, 3/8/07. Referred to Appropriations 3/13/07. Subcommittee assigned (Dvorsky, Angelo) 3/28/07. Failed Second Funnel deadline.
SF 474: Requires violators of certain Iowa national pollutant discharge elimination system program permits to post a sign at discharge points.
Status: Passed Senate Natural Resources and Environment and renumbered as SF 474, 3/12/07. Referred to Senate Natural Resources and Environment committee 4/12/07. No further action taken before end of session. Subcommittee assigned 2008 (Bolkcom, Hogg, Lundby). Received no further consideration.
SF 485: The bill requires the EPC and DNR to consider greenhouse emissions of generating facilities that apply to the IUB for a certificate of public necessity; it allows the DNR to deny, modify, suspend or take other actions for the permits for those facilities.
Status: Signed by Governor 4/27/07.
SF 488: Declares that if employees are represented by a labor union, the employer may not make an assessment on wages without first entering collective bargaining.
Status: Passed State Government committee and renumbers as SF 488, 3/12/07. Amended to clarify that an employer may not make a unilateral assessment on wages and salaries of employees. This amendment takes out earlier language that implied such an assessment could be made if bargaining on the issue had first reached on impasse. Passed Senate as amended (29-20) 4/2/07. Referred to House Local Government; re-referred to House Labor 4/3/07. Subcommittee assigned (Schueller, Hoffman, Whitead) 4/4/07. Committee recommends Do Pass 4/9/07. Placed on House calendar under Unfinished Business 4/12/07. No further action taken before end of session. Assigned subcommittee Hunter, Watts, Winckler 1/24/08. No further action taken.
SF 574: Requires the DNR establish a voluntary greenhouse gas registry. It also establishes the Iowa Climate Change Advisory Council which is to develop multiple scenarios to reduce state greenhouse gas emissions, including one scenario of 50% by 2050. The council is required to submit its proposals to the Governor and Legislature by January 1, 2008. The DNR is also to submit a report to the Governor and Legislature by September 1 of each year regarding the levels of greenhouse gas emissions in the state and forecasting trends in emission.
Status: Passed by Senate Appropriations and re-numbered as SF 574 4/2/07. Passed the Senate (28-20) 4/3/07. Referred to House Environmental Protection 4/4/07. No further action taken before end of session.
SF 2049: Requiring each county's board of supervisors to identify and approve a site within the county that a biomass facility may locate to. It does not require that the county or a utility build such a facility--but that the county must approve a site.
Status: Introduced 1/28/08; referred to Senate Natural Resources and Environment. Subcommittee assigned (Hogg, Bolkcom, Johnson) 1/29/08. Failed to meet First Funnel deadline.
SF 2070: A bill to establish a 25% renewable energy mandate by 2025; requiring that certain percentages of the mandate come from certain renewables (biomass, methane digester); authorizing tax credit incentives.
Status: Introduced 1/29/08; referred to Senate Natural Resources and Environment. Failed to meet First Funnel deadline.
SF 2071: Establish a renewable energy standard of 25% by 2025.
Status: Introduced 1/29/08; referred to Senate Natural Resources and Environment. Failed to meet First Funnel deadline.
SF 2084: A bill requiring state green building codes and associated tax credits for energy efficiency building.
Status: Introduced 1/30/08; referred to Senate Ways and Means. Received no further consideration.
SF 2087: A bill authorizing the IUB to set a discount rate that utilities must offer to certain eligible low-income customers of electric and gas utilities.
Status: Introduced 1/31/08; referred to Senate Commerce. Failed to meet First Funnel deadline.
SF 2192: A bill to raise the emission reduction goal passed previously by the state from 50% in 2050 to 90% in 2050; also requires the IUB to disallow cost recovery for regulated utilities for any new facilities that emit carbon.
Status: Introduced 2/19/08; referred to Natural Resources & Environment; subcommittee assigned: Hogg, Behn, and Hancock. Failed to meet First Funnel deadline.
SF 2226: A bill by Senator Bolkcom to place a five year moratorium on the IUB which would prohibit the IUB from granting permits to coal facilities unless 90% of carbon is sequestered.
Status: Introduced 2/21/08; referred to Natural Resources & Environment; subcommittee assigned: Wood, Bolkcom, Kettering. Failed to meet First Funnel deadline.
SF 2312: Formerly SSB 3142, a bill to limit municipal elections.
Status: Introduced as SSB 3142, it passed Senate State Government Committee (12-0) 3/5/08. Committee report approving bill 3/5/08. Fiscal note filed 3/11/08. Amendments offered 3/13/08. Passed Senate (43-4) 3/18/08. Motion to reconsider made; motion to reconsider withdrawn 3/18/08. Referred to House State Government. Subcommittee assigned 3/24/08--Gaskill, Abdul-Samad, Jacobs. No further action taken
SF 2386: Formerly SF 2083, Senator Hogg's energy efficiency bill; establishing an energy efficiency commission on standards and practices.
Status: Introduced 1/30/08; referred to natural Resources & Environment. Passed committee and refiled as SF 2386 3/10/08. Motion to reconsider filed 3/12/08. Fiscal note 3/19/08. Passed Senate (42-1) 3/21/08. Referred to House Environmental Protection; re-referred to House Commerce 3/24/08. Subcommittee assigned: Reichert, Petersen, Soderberg, D. Taylor & Van Fossen. Committee report recommending amendment and passage 3/31/08. Amended to include REC-backed amendment requiring non-rate-regulated utilities to set own energy efficiency goals and to report to IUB on progress. Placed on House calendar for floor debate. Amended on House floor with municipal/REC-backed amendment. Passed House (100-0) 4/17/08. Senate concurs with House amendments; passes bill (45-4) 4/21/08. Pending Governor's approval. Signed by Governor 5/6/08.
SF 2405: Formerly SF 2077 and SF 2223, a bill allowing state banks to act as equity investors for CBED-typed renewable energy projects.
Status: Introduced as SF 2077, 1/30/08. Referred to Senate Natural Resources and Environment. Committee passed bill (14-0) 2/21/08. Referred to Ways & Means 2/25/08; subcommittee assigned: Hogg, Angelo, Stewart. Fiscal Note filed 3/19/08. Passed Ways and Means 3/31/08; re-filed as SF 2405. Passed Senate (50-0) 4/8/08. Referred to House Ways and Means. Passed Ways and Means 4/10/08. Passed House (99-0) 4/17/08. Signed by Governor 5/1/08.
SF 2411: Formerly SSB 3164 & SF 2378, this will significantly changes open meetings and public record laws; greatly narrowing the ability for cities and MRES to keep proprietary and other similar information confidential.
Status: Introduced as SSB 3164, it passed State Government subcommittee and was renumbered as SF 2378. State Government committee approved bill 3/10/08. Fiscal note filed 3/18/08. Amendments filed 3/20/08. Referred to Senate Appropriations 3/24/08. Passed Senate Appropriations Committee 4/3/08; referred to Senate floor. Amendments filed 4/8/08. Passed Senate as amended (43-6) 4/14/08. Referred to House State Government Committee 4/15/08. Amended to delete entire bill and replace with provisions to allow a complaint procedure; Committee reports To Pass as amended 4/16/08. Referred to Appropriations. Subcommittee assigned -- Cohoon, Schickel, T.Taylor 4/23/08. Amendment filed regarding use of false identity 4/23/08. Received no further consideration.
SR 31: A resolution requesting an interim study by the legislative council of energy efficiency programs under the IUB.
Status: Resolution filed; referred to Rules and Administration 4/4/07. Committee report recommending Do Pass; Resolution adopted by Senate 4/26/07.
SSB 1123: A bill to set up an energy utility assessment and resolution program--a program to set up a program to work with certain financially disadvantaged persons to develop a plan to pay their energy bills. Funding of $1 million would be appropriated for fiscal year 2007-2008 from the state. See also HSB 92.
Status: Introduced and referred to Senate Appropriations. Subcommittee (Hogg, Dvorsky, Hatch, Johnson, Angelo) assigned 1/29/07. No further action taken before end of session.
SSB 3158: A bill to require that the Iowa Department of Natural Resources adopt rules to establish maximum limits for green house gas emissions and to consider those limits when permitting a power plant.
Status: Introduced 2/7/08; referred to Senate Natural Resources & Environment. Subcommittee--Bolkcom, Seng, Johnson. Failed to meet First Funnel deadline.
SSB 3252: The Governor's Energy Bill. It would: establish an energy efficiency commission, require the IUB to establish and energy efficiency standard of 1.5% reduction in energy use per year, and establish a Renewable Energy goal of 25% renewable energy by 2025.
Status: Introduced 2/27/08; referred to Natural Resources Environment. Failed to meet First Funnel deadline.
| House Bills
HF 347: A bill to establish an energy utility assessment and resolution that certain persons with low income need assistance to prevent utility disconnections. The bill sets forth eligibility requirements and appropriates $1 million from the state general fund to implement the program.
Status: Introduced 2/13/07 and referred to Appropriations. Subcommittee assigned (Foege, Gayman, Heaton) 2/14/07. No further action taken before end of session.
HF 443: A bill providing that advisory boards, advisory commissions, advisory committees, task forces and other bodies created by an entity organized under chapter 28E is subject to open meetings laws.
Status: Introduced and referred to State Government 2/20/07. Subcommittee assigned (Lensing, Abdul-Samad, Jacobs) 2/27/07. Failed first funnel deadline.
HF 498: The Iowa Energy Independence Act. It contains many energy provisions including: creating an Iowa Energy Independence Office (EIO); charging the EIO with developing a plan to achieve energy independence from foreign sources by 2025; requiring state buildings will be built "green"; requiring state fleet vehicles to use alternative fuels; creating an Iowa Power Fund of $25 million; requiring all utilities to file energy efficiency plans with the IUB; and requiring all utilities to contribute .2% of operating revenues to the IUB for research and development.
Status: Introduced and referred to Commerce. Subcommittee assigned (Reichert, Kelley, Soderberg, Struyk, D. Taylor, Van Fossen, Wise) 2/27/07. Passed Committee as amended 3/9/07. Referred to Economic Growth. Subcommittee assigned (Thomas, Bailey, Dandekar, Granzow, Hoffman, May, H. Miller, D. Olson, Schickel, Van Fossen, Wenthe) 3/12/07. Pursuant to rule 31.7, referred to Economic Growth. Passed Economic Growth Committee 3/29/07. Referred to Ways and Means. Subcommittee assigned (Reasoner, Deyoe, Grassley, T. Olson, Wise) 4/5/07. Failed second funnel deadline.
HF 513: A bill to allow those 28E entities required to publish minutes, to publish those minutes on their website.
Status: Introduced and referred to State Government 2/23/07. Failed first funnel deadline.
HF 766: A bill to establish an energy-efficient appliance assistance grant program.
Status: Passed Environmental Protection Committee. Referred to Appropriations 3/13/07. Subcommittee assigned (Foege, Kuhn, Watts). No further action taken before end of session.
HF 2305: A bill to add Nuclear Energy to the definition of renewable energy.
Status: Introduced 2/19/08. Referred to Commerce; subcommittee assigned: Wise, Reichert, Soderberg, D. Taylor, and Van Fossen. Failed Second Funnel Deadline.
HF 2505: Formerly HSB 690, a bill to expand the jurisdiction of the Department of Natural Resources to include small business stationary sources and sets up procedures for the Compliance Advisory Panel to oversee compliance with Title V of the federal Clean Air Act.
Status: Formerly HSB 690, passed Environmental Protection committee 3/5/08. Failed Second Funnel Deadline.
HF 2571: Formerly HSB 744, it changes existing greenhouse gas legislation to be consistent with the Iowa Climate Change Advisory Council.
Status: Formerly HSB 744, introduced and passed House Environmental Protection. Re-filed as HF 2571 3/12/08. No further action taken.
HF 2620: Formerly HSB 627, a bill to limit when municipal government may have elections.
Status: Introduced as HSB 627 on 2/6/08; referred to House State Government; subcommittee--Gaskill, Abdul-Samad, Jacobs. Passed committee 3/13/08 and refiled as HF 2620. Amendment filed 3/13/08 regarding provisional ballots. Fiscal note filed 3/14/08. Amended on House floor regarding school board elections; passed House (79-21) 3/24/08. Referred to Senate State Government; subcommittee assigned (Appel, Danielson, Zieman) 3/25/08. Passed Committee 3/26/08. Amendments filed 4/3/08. Passed Senate (44-5) 4/8/08. Signed by Governor 4/22/08.
HF 2656: Formerly HSB 742, this bill backed by Governor Culver creates a commmission on energy efficiency standards, sets a savings goal of 1.5 percent annually, sets a goal of 25 percent renewable energy sales by 2025 and would place municipal electric utilities under IUB oversight on energy efficiency and renewable energy compliance.
Status: Introduced as HSB 742 2/27/08; referred to House Environmental Protection committee. Passed committee 3/6/08. Refiled as HF 2656 3/18/08. Environmental Protection subcommittee assigned (Reichert, Petersen, Soderberg, D. Taylor, Van Fossen) 3/19/08. See SF 2386. Received no further consideration.
HSB 38: A companion bill to SSB 1042, it would only allow a meeting of a governmental body to be closed to evaluate the hiring of an employee if (1) the governmental body finds that opening the meeting to the public would cause needless and irreparable injury to the job candidate, and (2) the candidate requests in writing that the meeting be closed.
Status: Referred to House State Government. Subcommittee assigned (Pettengill, Jacobs, Jochum, Lensing, Roberts). Failed First Funnel deadline.
HSB 549: A bill to allow the IUB to develop a discount rate for electric and natural gas service for certain low income customers. IOUs would be required to follow the discount rate as set; but discretionary for non-rate regulated utilities to follow.
Status: Introduced 1/23/08; referred to Commerce, Regulations & Labor. Subcommittee assigned 1/24/08 (Bailey, Berry, Van Fossen). Failed to meet First Funnel deadline.
HSB 654: Companion bill to SSB 3154, this bill would significantly change open meetings and public records laws; greatly narrowing the definition of confidential records.
Status: Introduced 2/12/08; referred to State Government. Subcommittee assigned: Lensing, Abdul-Samad, Boal, Jacobs, and Jacoby. Set for hearing 2/25/08. Set for hearing 3/18/08. Failed funnel deadline.
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