Week 15 April 22-26, 2019

Hello House District 75, I hope this last newsletter of the year finds you well. What an amazing session this has been, it has truly been an honor to serve you here at the State Capitol and I look forward to next year! This weeks newsletter will be a bit long because it is the last one of this session. Always remember, if you have any questions, concerns, or comments, please, feel free to email me anytime. Again, thank you for this experience. God bless.

House Passes Iowa Hemp Act with Minor Changes

On Tuesday, April 23, 2019, the House passed Senate File 599 with a bi-partisan 95-aye to 3-nay vote. SF 599 provides the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship (IDALS) with the primary role of implementing operating the Iowa Hemp program.

The measure allows both the growth of hemp crops and the retail trade of hemp products and CBD trade in this state as long as the THC content is less than 0.3% and the hemp products were grown, produced, and processed under state and federal hemp regulations. The measure was amended to require documentation of hemp being transported in this state to require:

(a) a copy of the hemp license and a copy of the certificate of crop inspection, and

(b) a transport bill of lading indicating the owner of the hemp, point of origin of hemp, and destination of hemp.

SF 599 creates a hemp fund into which license fees are deposited. Funds may include both from public and private sources. The funds are appropriated to IDALS which will administer the program.

The bill, and this amendment specify that hemp licensee must pay for annual hemp licenses, and actual costs of hemp inspections. Fees collected pursuant to his section are to be deposited into a state hemp fund. The hemp license fee varies on the number of acres grown

(a) $500 plus $5 an acre for each site less than 5 acres,

(b) $750 plus $5 an acre for each site more than 5-acres but less than 10-acres, and

(c) $1,000 plus $5 an acre up to 40-acres.

The initial inspection base fee shall be no more than $1,000 until 6-30-2022, when inspection fee is to be specified by administrative rule to cover inspections costs of IDALS. After 6-30-2022, hemp license fees and inspection fees are to be calculated by state agencies and be an amount sufficient to cover program expense and specifies by state administrative rules. IDALS may charge a supplemental inspection fee in addition to the base fee for additional samples (different hemp varieties) submitted.

SF 599 defines hemp as a species of Cannabis having a maximum concentration of THC that does not exceed three tenths of 1 percent. The measure specifies that IDALS is in charge of preparing the plan and administering and enforcing the provisions of the Code chapter, but may involve the Department of Public Safety or local law enforcement in the criminal background check and when inspection test results indicate the crop is not hemp. The bill requires IDALS to accept and approve or disapprove applications for the issuance of a hemp license on a one year basis subject to renewal and license may be no more than 40 acres to any given entity/person. The legislation specifies that IDALS is required to adopt rules regulating licensees and are authorized to inspect crop sites. The state agency may require a licensee to maintain business records which are also subject to inspection and is required to conduct an annual inspection of a licensees crop site and obtain a sample for official testing by a laboratory designated by IDALS. The bills provisions provide that a test result that indicates a sample exceeds 2% concentration of THC is deemed conclusive that the crop is a controlled substance; if it exceeds 0.3% it is not hemp and it will be destroyed at the growers expenses, except for the stalks which may be salvaged for fiber use.

It should be noted and understood that it is likely to not be legal to grow hemp in the 2019 crop year and maybe not in 2020, because the federal legislation that reclassified hemp as a crop requires that USDA develop rules for the program and that state rules not only must be as stringent as federal rules, but state rules must be approved by USDA before they can be implemented. The legislation acknowledged these stipulations by containing contingent implementation provisions. Furthermore, the farmer should appreciate that hemp has not yet been incorporated into federal conservation plans and phosphorous index requirements so it should not be planted for these purposes until the federal hurdles are cleared.

Education Budget Agreement Goes to Governor

After starting nearly $15 million apart on the Education Budget, the House and Senate came to a final agreement this week on funding the Department for the Blind, the College Student Aid Commission (scholarships and grants for students), the Department of Education, Community Colleges, Vocational Rehabilitation, Iowa Public Television, and the Board of Regents. The compromise budget spends $952.7 million in FY20, a $40.1 million increase over estimated FY19 levels.

A look back at the various proposals over the year shows that this compromise falls squarely in between the House and Senate original proposal:

$963,275,618 Governors FY 2020 proposal

$960,833,480 Original House FY 2020 proposal

$952,733,479 Compromise Agreement

$944,955,971 Original Senate FY 2020 proposal

$912,675,487 Estimated Net FY 2019

Many of the original increases proposed by the House were maintained, including those items that help add doctors and nurses to rural, in-need areas; scholarships for low-income students; scholarship money for 7000 Iowans to get training in high-need jobs areas; more funding to opportunities for high school students to access on-the-job training towards rewarding in-demand careers; mental health training and programming needs for K-12 schools; increased funding for programs to help families with young children; and significant new funding for community colleges.

Here are some of the highlights:

All Iowa Opportunity Scholarship = $159,146 increase, $3 million total This will provide scholarships to about 35 more economically-disadvantaged students

Rural Primary Care Loan Program = $300,000 increase, $1.4 million total New funding here will help put new doctors into rural areas that need coverage

Health Care Loan Repayment Program = $50,000 increase, $250,000 total New funding here will help put nurses into rural areas that need coverage

Future Ready Iowa Last-Dollar Scholarship = $13,004,744 total Over 7000 Iowans will benefit from this funding, meant to get students into high-demand fields of study and employment

Iowa Tuition Grant = $1,072,512 increase, $47.7 million total Provides scholarships for low-income students to access Iowas private college system

Career Technical Education = $322,325 increase, $2.99 million total Funding to help provide on-the-job experiences for high school students

Early Childhood Iowa = $500,000 million increase, $22.7 million total This increase will help fund programs families with young children to help with education, health care, and other identified local needs

iJAG (Jobs for Americas Grads) = $1 million increase, $2.7 million total This additional funding will help open about 20 new programs, providing an opportunity for kids at risk of not graduating from high school

Mental Health Awareness Training = $2,100,000 total Funding designed to help train teachers in mental health awareness and provide mental health strategies in school districts Community Colleges = $6 million increase, $208.7 million total

Adult Literacy and Workforce = $500,000 increase, $6 million total Will help clear some of the backlogs of Iowans needing English as a Second Language (ESL) training to enter the workforce

Iowa, Iowa State, and UNI = $12 million increase, $493 million total

STEM = $1 million increase, $6.4 million total Providing opportunities for students to enter into in-demand fields in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math

Iowa School for the Deaf = $302,962 increase, $10.3 million total

Services for the Blind and Visually Impaired = $167,000 increase, $4.3 million total

The bill passed the Senate on a party-line vote of 32-18. It passed the House XX-XX. It will now go to the Governor for a signature.

House Passes Legislation to Ensure Access to Health Care

This session, House Republicans listened to constituents and worked to improve mental health, increase access to health care workforce, and ensure a sustainable and reliable Medicaid program. Some of the highlights include:

Childrens Mental Health This session, the legislature, and governor built on the significant mental health bill passed last year to fill many of the gaps in Iowas adult community-based mental health system. The focus this year was on developing the framework of a childrens mental health system on top of the existing adult MHDS Region system. This bill ensures that there are local access and coordination to mental health services for children and that parents have a place to turn when seeking treatment for their child. This session, the legislature also created a statewide crisis hotline for childrens mental health services and funded the elimination of the waiting list for the Childrens Mental Health Home and Community Based Services Waiver. There are over 1,000 children currently on this waitlist.

Health Care Workforce This week, the House sent House File 532, a bill focused on training and retaining rural Iowa doctors, down to the Governor for her signature. This bill requires taxpayer-funded medical residency programs to give priority to applicants with an Iowa connection. Those that have an Iowa connection, especially to rural Iowa, are more likely to live and practice in Iowa after their training. This bill also requires primary care residencies, including OB and psychiatry, to provide an opportunity to participate in a rural rotation to expose those physicians to our rural areas. The HHS Budget also focused on this area and funded $2.4 million of new medical residencies in Iowa, including 4 rural psychiatry spots.

Medicaid Sustainability House Republicans continue to closely monitor Iowas managed care program to ensure that patients get the services they need and providers are being paid for their care. Included in the HHS Budget is additional funding to right-size the program with actuarially sound rates based on 3 years of actual experience. This bill also includes many provisions that require uniform prior authorizations, an expedited claim appeals process while United leaves the program, and strong oversight over the MCOs.

In addition, the legislature passed bills related to access to opioid addiction treatment, hospital training of caregivers upon discharge, and increasing services to individuals with brain injuries. House Republicans have consistently heard from Iowans that health care is a key concern that should be addressed, and House Republicans have followed through on those requests. Please reach out if you have any suggested legislation on ensuring affordable and accessible health care in the future.

House Moves to Limit Politically Motivated Lawsuits by the Attorney General

In the Justice Systems Budget, SF 615, House Republicans introduced language to ensure the Attorney General is truly representing the taxpayers in his actions and not just his political party. The language can be found in Division III of the House amendment and it specifies that the Attorney General must receive approval of the Governor, Executive Council, or the General Assembly before signing on to, or writing supporting briefs or letters for out of state lawsuits. This language does not impact any current cases and does not prevent the Attorney General from taking action in state courts or defending the state.

The reason this language is needed is simple, the Attorney Generals office is no longer representing the State of Iowa in many of these multistate lawsuits. The facts are clear. This language ensures Iowans dollars are spent to protect Iowans interests and not those of out of state politicians.

In 2017, the Attorney General supported at least 35 lawsuits against the Federal Government, most, if not all were partisan lawsuits (only Democrat Attorney Generals). Some lawsuits he signed onto, others he supported with briefs and letters of support.

In 2018, the AG supported at least 14 actions towards the Federal Government, including three lawsuits. (FCC Net Neutrality Repeal, Citizenship Info on the 2020 census and Family Separation Policy)

From 2012-2015, during President Obamas administration, the AG filed no lawsuits against the Federal Government.

According to Paul Nolette, a political scientist at Marquette University, more lawsuits have been filed against the federal government during Donald Trumps presidency than any other previous administration. As of April 5, 2019, a total of 71 multistate lawsuits have been filed against the Trump administration.

House Judiciary Committee Supports Freedom, Life, and Children

A majority of the bills advanced out of the House Judiciary Committee this year did so with bi-partisan support. House Republicans worked to incorporate ideas presented by House Democrats and compromise on ideas where it was possible. Because of that, over 85% of the bills that passed the committee did so with bi-partisan support. However, there are times where good policy advanced over the objections of House Democrats. Below are some bills House Republicans are proud to support out of the Judiciary Committee this year:

Freedom of Speech on Campus- Senate File 274

SF 274 is a straightforward bill that prohibits Public Universities and Community Colleges from adopting speech codes that violate the First Amendment. In response to a failed, unconstitutional policy at the University of Iowa, the language in the bill explicitly extends First Amendment protections to student groups. Additionally, the bill prevents a campus from having limited free speech zones in outdoor areas. However, schools will still be able to implement reasonable time, place and manner restrictions. The bill passed without any Democrat support and has been signed by the Governor.

Senate File 346- Female Genital Mutilation

SF 346 will prohibit female genital mutilation and prohibit people from taking children out of the country to have this gruesome act performed. Members of the subcommittee met with community representatives as well as advocates while working on the bill. After careful consideration, the language was added to the bill to provide education on the dangers of this practice to help prevent any confusion to educate people on the dangers of this practice while also criminalizing those who commit this abuse.

House File 594- Child Life Support

This bill prevents the courts from removing a child from life support or denying them medical care over the objection of the parents with limited exceptions. The concept is simple and supportive of parents rights, yet during floor debate, House Democrats refused to support parental rights to make medical decisions for their children and instead wanted to leave those decisions to the courts. The bill passed with some bipartisan support.

House Supports Organ Donation with the Passage of Logans Law

This week, the House unanimously passed Logans Law (Senate File 86), a bill that places an organ donation symbol on hunting, fishing, or fur harvester licenses, similar to what is done with Iowa driver licenses.

This law was inspired and written by the family of Logan Luft, who was 15 when he died after an ATV accident in July 2017. Logan donated organs to five individuals and many others received tissue.

Under this bill, an option to request that a donor symbol is added to your hunting, fishing, or fur harvester license will be added to the application for a license, and future hunter education courses will include information on being an organ, tissue, or eye donor. The DNR will then share information with the Iowa Donor Network for those that have selected to place the donor symbol on their hunting, fishing, or fur harvester license. This process will be similar to what the DOT already does with the donor symbol on Iowa driver licenses. The Uniform Anatomical Gift Act (Iowa Code Chapter 142C) governs the process for collection.

This law will increase how often Iowans will decide if they want to be an organ donor, with these licenses being issued more frequently than a drivers license, and also provide additional education on organ donation to future hunters.

Currently, 600 Iowans are waiting for a transplant, and one person is added to the national waiting list every 10 minutes, every day. In 2018, 74 organ donors, 248 organs transplanted, and 1.8 million Iowans were registered as organ donors. More information on the Iowa Donor Network can be found here.

House Republicans Celebrate Second Amendment Success

As the session comes to a close, House Republicans have many things to celebrate. Senate Joint Resolution 18 restricts the government from infringing on a fundamental right, the right to keep and bear arms. SJR 18 passed on party lines, 53-46.

For years, House Republicans have worked to strengthen rights for law-abiding Iowans. Iowa is one of only six states without a state constitutional amendment protecting firearms rights. The language approved by the House and Senate reads as follows:

The right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed. The sovereign state of Iowa affirms and recognizes this right to be a fundamental individual right. Any and all restrictions of this right shall be subject to strict scrutiny.

This language requires a court reviewing Iowas firearms laws to use strict scrutiny. This is the highest standard of judicial review and requires the government to prove the law was passed to further a compelling governmental interest, and the law is narrowly tailored to achieve that interest. This language does not invalidate Iowas current or future laws unless the laws dont serve a compelling governmental interest. In other states, with a strict scrutiny standard, laws banning felons from possessing firearms and requiring permits have all been upheld as constitutional. The language in SJR 18 is the same language that passed the House and Senate last year, but because of technical errors in the Secretary of States Office, it will not be eligible for the public to vote on until 2022, if the legislature approves the same language in the next general assembly.

Iowas Redistricting Process Protected in DC Thanks to State House Republicans

In the past few years, redistricting has become a very hot topic. In many states, legislative and congressional district maps are drawn by the party in control of the legislative chambers. Naturally, this draws pointed criticism from the party in the minority.

In a number of instances, gerrymandering has caused peculiar looking districts being drawn to ensure that one party remains in control of a particular district. Gerrymandering is not a new practice, it has been around since the early 19th Century. The phrase gerrymandering was created based upon the 1812 Massachusetts map signed into law by Democratic-Republican Governor (and later Vice President) Elbridge Gerry.

While there has always been criticism on both sides of the aisle for letting state legislators draw their own maps, it wasnt until President Obamas tenure when the Democrats lost 816 state legislative seats and 13 Governorships1 that the Democratic Party really started complaining about the redistricting process. Recently, there have been complaints about Midwestern maps in Republican-controlled states like Wisconsin and Michigan. However, it seems like critics conveniently forgot to criticize the maps drawn by Democratic neighbors to the East in Illinois.2

However, this criticism of Republicans and Democrats really doesnt have a place in Iowa. Since the 1980s the legislative maps have been drawn by the non-partisan Legislative Service Agency and approved by the legislature. Democratic activists and legislators, using fear-mongering tactics, have attempted to convince individuals that Iowa Republicans plan on changing Iowas model redistricting system.

This past February, Iowa House Republicans wrote a three-part series in this newsletter regarding redistricting.3 The first explained the new national redistricting process that Congressional Democratic had proposed in House Resolution 1. The second explained the current process in Iowa. The third explained the differences between the two processes and how HR 1 made redistricting more political in Iowa. After those articles were published, It appeared that Congresswoman Finkenauer (co-sponsored by Congressman Loebsack & Congresswoman Axne) took notice because she offered an amendment in the Rules Committee that exempted Iowa from the redistricting portion of HR 1 as long as the current model is used.4 This was 182nd and final amendment submitted to the committee. The deadline for amendments was on March 1, 2019, at 2 pm. It seems more than coincidental that Congresswomen Finkenauer suddenly offered this amendment after Iowa House Republicans drew attention to the situation. Regardless, Iowans appreciate the House Republican-driven change offered by Congresswoman Finkenauer.

1 https://www.quorum.us/data-driven-insights/under-obama-democrats-suffer-largest-loss-in-power-since-eisenhower/291/

2 https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/redistricting-maps/illinois/

3 http://www.iowahouserepublicans.com/newsletters

4 https://rules.house.gov/bill/116/hr-1

State Government Committee Highlights

This year, the House State Government Committee was one of the most productive committees in the legislature. The committee passed 31 bills. Here a few of the highlights:

HF 309 allows the sale of canned cocktails with an alcohol content between 6.25% - 15%. This will allow consumers to enjoy a new item in the Iowa market.

HF 419 gave title protection to music therapist. This protects the profession from individuals that falsely claim to be a music therapist without the proper education or certification.

HF 660 requires the states licensing boards to adopt administrative rules to prohibit the suspension or revocation of a license issued to a person who is in default of student loans. This bill ensures that people with student loans are not punished for getting an education or training.

HF 692 implemented the statewide use of postal service barcodes to determine the date that an absentee ballot was placed into the federal postal service. This will allow more ballots to be counted and ultimately more people to vote.

HF 736 laid out the rules and procedures for the use of electronic notaries. This bill will allow more people the access to have items notarized and helps move Iowa into the ever-growing digital world.

HF 743 implemented the Uniform Electronic Legal Material Act which allows for the creation of official electronic records. As technology continues to advance and digitalized this will be important to have official legislative records in the digital system and easily accessible to the public.

HF 748 legalized sports wagering and internet fantasy sports. This bill also added transparency to the Board of the Qualifying Sponsoring Organization. This bill will bring sports wagering out of the shadow and ensure that bettors are not being ripped off shady individuals or questionable apps.

SF 502 allows for employees of political subdivisions and the state to report complaints to the Office of the Ombudsman. This bill helps ensure protections for whistleblowers.

SF 567 requires that the Electrical Examining Board and Plumbing and Mechanical Systems Board grant an exception for a person who would otherwise be denied a license to due to a criminal conviction under specified circumstances.

Transportation Committee Legislative Highlights

This year the House Transportation Committee considered and passed over 25 bills out of committee. Nearly all of these had bipartisan support. Some of the significant legislation considered by the Transportation committee this year looks to the future and sets Iowa up for future success. Some of the bills that originated in the Transportation committee include:

Electric Vehicles Both the ownership and use of electric vehicles (EV) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV) has been steadily increasing in Iowa. These vehicles use no (EV) or little (PHEV) gasoline or diesel fuel, while still using the transportation infrastructure of roads and bridges. They essentially get a free ride by not contributing their fair share of fuel tax, which comprises approximately 40% of road use tax fund (RUTF) revenues. Current projections estimate there would be a minimum impact of $19.6 million to the RUTF by 2035 and could be as much as $129 million. By 2040 that number is estimated to be as high as $241 million.

This bill creates a supplemental registration fee for electric vehicles phased in over three years. It also creates an excise fee for hydrogen fuel of $0.65/gallon and a $0.026/kWh excise fee on electric fuel. All these funds are directed to RUTF and will be used to improve the transportation infrastructure all vehicles use in Iowa including roads and bridges.

In addition, the bill ensures licensed electric fuel dealers and licensed electric fuel users (owners and operators of EV charging stations) are subject to control, oversight, or regulation by the Iowa Utilities Board (IUB). It is important that this oversight remains in place as we work to grow the infrastructure for charging stations around the state. It is important that those who use the infrastructure should pay for the infrastructure, no matter what kind of vehicle you drive.

Autonomous Vehicles Autonomous vehicles are a new and rapidly changing technology that is currently being developed. While images of people being chauffeured around by a vehicle being run by a computer are often what comes to mind, current technology has yet to reach this level of sophistication.

The Transportation committee worked on and passed a framework for autonomous vehicles in Iowa. The legislation outlines the parameters for the operation of autonomous vehicles including insurance requirements and accident liability. Autonomous vehicles must follow existing traffic laws and will be regulated by the DOT. This legislation allows for the autonomous vehicle to be used and developed in Iowa while the technology and related issues mature. It is a good step towards keeping Iowa at the forefront of new and developing technological changes in the automotive industry.

House Veterans Affairs Committee Highlights

This past session, the House Veterans Affairs Committee passed several pieces of legislation that aimed at helping Iowas veterans. Some of these bills include:

House File 288/ House Study Bill 65 National Guard Bill

This bill eliminates the requirement that the veteran be injured in a combat zone or zone where the veteran is receiving hazardous duty pay in order to qualify for the program. This will allow for soldiers who are seriously injured to qualify for the Injured Veterans Grant Program so their families can be flown to where they are. (Example: Kuwait is not an active combat zone so if a soldier is injured there, this would not currently qualify for the IVG program). This bill establishes an expedited licensing process for spouses of active duty members of the United States military who are stationed in Iowa. Licensing Boards must establish procedures by January 1, 2020, to expedite the licensing of an individual who is licensed in a similar profession in another state and who is the spouse of an active duty member of the military forces of the United States. This gives them more time to complete the required education or training if necessary. Provisional licensing procedures are also required to be made. It also requires the National Guard, the Veterans Commission, and the Department of Veterans Affairs to collaborate on a report regarding the sustainability of future funding for the Injured Veterans Grant Program. We are happy to report that this bill was signed by the Governor!

House File 689/HSB 229 Removal of County Veterans Service Officers

Currently, there is no clarification on the termination of County Veterans Service Officers. This bill implements the termination process to mirror the appointment method for this position. An executive director or administrator shall only be removed from office by the commission, subject to the approval of the board of supervisors. This bill is helpful in instances where a County VSO isnt meeting all the requirements of the job or isnt meeting the standards of the position.

House Republicans Complete Focused Tax Agenda

The House tackled quite a Ways and Means agenda this year. From tax code updates to property tax transparency it has been a busy session.

One of the early bills was Senate File 220. That bill provided section 179 expensing with a maximum deduction of $70,000 for corporations, financial institutions, and partnerships and limited liability companies taxed as corporations. The investment limitation in the bill is set at $280,000. With the passage of Senate File 220these entities are allowed the same deductions and subject to the same limits as individuals.

Another piece of legislation handled this year was an omnibus bill. That bill did a myriad of things including:

Extending the Targeted Jobs Withholding Tax Credit pilot for two years until June 30, 2021.

Clarified the manufacturing exemption for manufacturers who engage in construction contracts.

Provides the department with the authority to audit or examine all taxes collected or administered by the department.

Finallya property tax transparency bill was passed. The legislation created a process that starts with a local government receiving the new assessments. Based on these new valuesall levies are adjusted up or down to represent a rate that would bring in the same amount of tax revenue as the prior year. This is the effective rate. The local government can then decide if this is the correct amount of tax to levy or if more or less is necessary.

Next, the local government needs to publish notice and have a hearing on what the levies will be. The hearing will then take place and a resolution on the new levies will be passed. If the proposed levies bring in tax revenue that constitutes an increase of two percent or lessa resolution by a majority must pass. If the proposed levies bring in tax revenue that constitutes an increase of more than two percenta resolution by 2/3 majority must pass. After the resolution on the new levies has passedthe local government needs to publish notice of the budget they intend to pass and have a hearing on that budget. They can then pass a resolution for their budget as they do in current law. All information from the notices needs to be published on all local government websites and social media presences. Because of the new processthe date to certify budgets is moved from March 15 to March 31.

Empower Rural Iowa Legislation Encourages Rural broadband and Housing Growth

House File 772 passed the Iowa House this week. The legislation was in response to meetings that took place last year in Iowas small towns and rural counties. The bill is divided into two partsbroadband grants and workforce housing tax credits. Current law requires the Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO) to administer a broadband grant program to make awards to communications service providers that reduce or eliminate targeted service areas by installing broadband infrastructure at specific minimum speeds. House File 772 repeals the specific download/upload speeds and instead references the federal telecommunications act for applicable speeds. The bill also provides that the competitive grants awarded by the OCIO should be awarded based on the following new considerations in addition to those in current law:

Need in the particular area (including whether it is rural).

Applicants total budget, including local or federal match, any funding obligations shared between public and private entities, and the percentage of funding provided directly from the applicant.

Relative download and upload speeds of proposed projects for all applicants.

Specific product attributes.

The bill specifically states that of all considerations for grant awards (both current and new), the most weight is to be given to the first three listed above. The bill extends the sunset of the OCIO broadband grant program from July 1, 2020, to July 1, 2025.

The second part of House File 772 relates to the workforce housing tax credit program administered by the Economic Development Authority already in current law. The bill increases the program cap from $20.0 million to $25.0 million per fiscal year. This money is directed to increase the incentive for small cities $5.0 million to $10 million. Current law states that the authority may accept applications on a continuous basis. The bill changes the process to require the authority to review and score the applications on a competitive basis. House File 772 provides that for the fiscal year 2020, all money allocated to this program will be used to clear the waiting list for small cities.

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