House Resolution 122 - Introduced HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 122 BY ISENHART , ABDUL-SAMAD , OLSON , KURTH , HUNTER , THEDE , BENNETT , ANDERSON , STAED , STECKMAN , WILLIAMS , HALL , McCONKEY , COHOON , WESSEL-KROESCHELL , SUNDE , EHLERT , BROWN-POWERS , KRESSIG , CAHILL , WILBURN , and DONAHUE A Resolution urging the Governor and executive 1 agencies to use federal funding to support climate 2 adaptation, resilience, and equity in Iowa. 3 WHEREAS, climate change is impacting Iowa with an 4 increased frequency of extreme weather events likely to 5 result in unprecedented risks, damages, and costs for 6 our residents and communities; and 7 WHEREAS, Iowa has already lost billions of dollars 8 as a result of extreme weather events that scientists 9 have attributed in part to climate change, including 10 flooding, heavy and damaging rain events, unprecedented 11 windstorms, and drought; and 12 WHEREAS, from 2017 through 2021, the United States 13 has incurred more than $765 billion in losses due to 14 extreme weather disasters that individually exceeded $1 15 billion in damages, which disasters include Missouri 16 River flooding and two derechos in Iowa, accounting for 17 almost 35 percent of all such major losses nationwide 18 since 1980; and 19 WHEREAS, the Iowa Department of Homeland Security 20 has documented that Iowa has received approximately 21 $2.5 billion from the federal government since 1992 for 22 hazard mitigation and public assistance in response 23 to damages to public infrastructure resulting from 24 blizzards, floods, tornadoes, derechos, and other 25 -1- LSB 6247YH (7) 89 js/rn 1/ 4

H.R. 122 severe storms; and 1 WHEREAS, Iowa farmers have received $243 million 2 in insurance payments for flooded and weather-damaged 3 crops between 2001 and 2020, which does not include 4 other federal aid such as livestock forage disaster 5 relief payments for animal feed losses due to severe 6 drought; and 7 WHEREAS, these damages and costs will continue 8 growing without public action to decarbonize our 9 economy and our atmosphere, saddling state and local 10 governments and future generations with extreme 11 financial burdens, negatively impacting the health, 12 resilience, and quality of life of Iowans; and 13 WHEREAS, numerous cities in Iowa, including Dubuque, 14 Cedar Rapids, Des Moines, Iowa City, and Waterloo, have 15 passed climate action and sustainability plans; and 16 WHEREAS, steps can be taken now to both further 17 reduce Iowa’s contributions to climate change and 18 to protect against the impacts of climate change in 19 equitable ways that protect our natural resources and 20 our most vulnerable citizens; and 21 WHEREAS, with the passing of the federal 22 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, in addition to 23 other proposals for federal climate-related funding 24 for states, Iowa has more than $5 billion at our 25 disposal over the next five years from 350 federal 26 infrastructure and climate-related programs, providing 27 opportunities to address these challenges and improve 28 the resilience of our state; NOW THEREFORE, 29 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, 30 -2- LSB 6247YH (7) 89 js/rn 2/ 4

H.R. 122 That the House of Representatives urges the Governor 1 and the executive agencies to optimize climate 2 adaptation, resilience, and equity outcomes for 3 residents, businesses, and communities of Iowa by using 4 federal funding provided by the federal Infrastructure 5 Investment and Jobs Act and other federal sources; and 6 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the House of 7 Representatives encourages the Governor to establish an 8 infrastructure task force made up of relevant agencies 9 and departments to coordinate efforts to ensure state 10 programs implement federal funding effectively to 11 advance the state’s climate adaptation, resilience, and 12 equity goals; and 13 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the infrastructure task 14 force publishes guidelines for projects to be designed 15 and implemented consistently with Iowa’s climate 16 adaptation, resilience, and equity goals, including by 17 prioritizing construction, renovation, and retrofit 18 projects that advance sustainability and resilience of 19 buildings, public infrastructure, communities, and our 20 natural resources; and 21 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the House of 22 Representatives encourages the Governor to take steps 23 to ensure that communities, school districts, nonprofit 24 organizations, and other eligible recipients of federal 25 funding, particularly those entities representing 26 disadvantaged populations, have timely information and 27 technical assistance related to applying for funding, 28 both funding granted through the state and directly 29 through federal agencies, and that the State of Iowa 30 -3- LSB 6247YH (7) 89 js/rn 3/ 4

H.R. 122 encourages and incentivizes these recipients to apply 1 awarded federal funding to effectively coordinate with 2 and advance Iowa’s climate adaptation, resilience, and 3 equity goals; and 4 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the infrastructure task 5 force collects and makes publicly available relevant 6 metrics about actions taken in accordance with this 7 resolution and the results of such actions. 8 -4- LSB 6247YH (7) 89 js/rn 4/ 4