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IA HF486
IA HF486A bill for an act relating to residency requirements for individuals holding office as a trustee of a drainage or levee district.
summary
Introduced
02/19/2025
02/19/2025
In Committee
02/19/2025
02/19/2025
Crossed Over
Passed
Dead
Introduced Session
91st General Assembly
Bill Summary
BACKGROUND —— DRAINAGE OR LEVEE DISTRICTS. This bill amends a provision in Iowa’s drainage and levee law (Code chapter 468), which provides for the establishment and management of a drainage or levee district (district) to construct improvements to control (i.e., divert or store) any accumulation of water affecting the value of agricultural or other land located in the district. The establishment of the district creates a number of rights and duties of persons owning land within the district, including an obligation to pay an assessment (tax) on the land based on the increased value of the land benefiting from the improvements. BACKGROUND —— BOARD OF TRUSTEES. A district is managed by a governing body which may be a county’s board of supervisors, joint boards of supervisors governing intercounty districts, or, upon a petition of the persons owning land in the district, a board of trustees elected by those persons (see Code section 468.3 and Code chapter 468, subchapter III). If a district is not located within the limits of a city, and the land is consequentially classified as agricultural, a trustee must meet certain eligibility requirements. The trustee must either be an individual who owns agricultural land in the district or an individual who has an interest in a business entity that owns agricultural land in the district (e.g., a partnership or family farm entity described in Code chapter 9H). In both cases, the individual must reside in the county in which the district is located or reside in a county which is contiguous to the county, or corners the county, where the district is located. BILL’S PROVISION. The bill replaces the requirement that, in order to hold office as a trustee of a district, an individual must reside in a county where the district is located or a neighboring county, with a requirement that the individual must be a resident in this state.
AI Summary
This bill modifies the residency requirements for trustees of drainage or levee districts in Iowa. Currently, trustees must reside either in the county where the district is located or in a county that is contiguous to or corners that county. The bill changes this requirement, now stipulating that trustees simply need to be residents of the state of Iowa, regardless of their specific county of residence. This change broadens the pool of potential trustees by removing the previous geographic restrictions, while maintaining the existing requirement that trustees must be bona fide owners of agricultural land in the election district for which they are being elected. The bill amends sections of the Iowa Code related to drainage and levee districts, specifically Section 468.506, which governs the eligibility of trustees. The modification aims to provide more flexibility in selecting trustees while maintaining the core principle that they have a direct stake in the agricultural land within the district.
Committee Categories
Agriculture and Natural Resources
Sponsors (1)
Last Action
Introduced, referred to Agriculture. H.J. 360. (on 02/19/2025)
Official Document
bill text
bill summary
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bill summary
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bill summary
| Document Type | Source Location |
|---|---|
| State Bill Page | https://www.legis.iowa.gov/legislation/BillBook?ga=91&ba=HF486 |
| BillText | https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/publications/LGI/91/attachments/HF486.html |
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