Bill Text: IA HSB153 | 2021-2022 | 89th General Assembly | Introduced


Bill Title: A bill for an act relating to qualified motor fuel storage and dispensing infrastructure, by providing for a program to award financial incentives to store and dispense ethanol and ethanol blended gasoline classified as E-15 or higher, providing for a fund, making appropriations, and providing penalties.(See HF 477.)

Spectrum: Committee Bill

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2021-02-09 - Committee report, recommending amendment and passage. H.J. 333. [HSB153 Detail]

Download: Iowa-2021-HSB153-Introduced.html
House Study Bill 153 - Introduced HOUSE FILE _____ BY (PROPOSED COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE BILL BY CHAIRPERSON PAUSTIAN) A BILL FOR An Act relating to qualified motor fuel storage and dispensing 1 infrastructure, by providing for a program to award 2 financial incentives to store and dispense ethanol and 3 ethanol blended gasoline classified as E-15 or higher, 4 providing for a fund, making appropriations, and providing 5 penalties. 6 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 7 TLSB 1929YC (8) 89 da/ns
H.F. _____ Section 1. Section 159A.11, subsection 8, Code 2021, is 1 amended to read as follows: 2 8. “Terminal” means a storage and distribution facility 3 bearing a terminal control number as required by the federal 4 internal revenue service, which facility is for motor fuel , 5 or a blend stock such as ethanol or biodiesel , that is stored 6 on-site or off-site in bulk , and that is supplied to a motor 7 vehicle, pipeline, or a marine vessel , and from which storage 8 and distribution facility the motor fuel or blend stock may 9 be removed at a rack. “Terminal” does not include any of the 10 following: 11 a. A retail motor fuel site. 12 b. A facility at which motor fuel, special fuel, or blend 13 stocks are used in the manufacture of products other than motor 14 fuel and from which no motor fuel or special fuel is removed. 15 Sec. 2. Section 159A.13, subsections 1 and 6, Code 2021, are 16 amended to read as follows: 17 1. The department shall provide the infrastructure board 18 with necessary facilities, items, and clerical support. The 19 department shall perform administrative functions necessary 20 for the management of the infrastructure board and the 21 renewable fuel infrastructure programs as provided in sections 22 159A.14 , 159A.14A, and 159A.15 , all under the direction of the 23 infrastructure board. 24 6. The infrastructure board shall meet with three or 25 more members of the underground storage tank fund board who 26 shall represent the underground storage tank fund board. The 27 representatives shall be available to advise the infrastructure 28 board when the infrastructure board makes decisions regarding 29 the awarding of financial incentives to a person under a 30 renewable fuel infrastructure program provided in section 31 159A.14 , 159A.14A, or 159A.15 . 32 Sec. 3. NEW SECTION . 159A.14A E-15 plus gasoline qualified 33 infrastructure program. 34 1. An E-15 plus gasoline qualified infrastructure program 35 -1- LSB 1929YC (8) 89 da/ns 1/ 9
H.F. _____ is established in the department under the direction of the 1 infrastructure board. 2 2. The purpose of the program is to improve all of the 3 following: 4 a. Existing terminals by installing new fuel storage tanks 5 and related infrastructure to be used to store, blend, or 6 dispense ethanol or ethanol blended gasoline classified as E-15 7 or higher. 8 b. Existing retail motor fuel sites by installing 9 new infrastructure, or replacing or converting existing 10 infrastructure, to be used to store, blend, or dispense ethanol 11 blended gasoline classified as E-15 or higher. 12 3. a. The ethanol or ethanol blended gasoline classified 13 as E-15 or higher must comply with requirements of the United 14 States environmental protection agency and standards provided 15 in section 214A.2. 16 b. Qualified infrastructure includes tanks and all 17 associated equipment, including but not limited to pipes, 18 hoses, tubes, lines, fittings, valves, filters, seals, and 19 covers. However, qualified infrastructure does not include 20 motor fuel pumps, motor fuel blender pumps, or tank vehicles. 21 4. The infrastructure board shall approve cost-share 22 agreements to make qualified infrastructure improvements 23 if executed by the department and persons that the 24 infrastructure board determines are eligible as provided in 25 this section, according to terms and conditions required by the 26 infrastructure board. The infrastructure board shall determine 27 the amount of the financial incentives to be awarded to a 28 person participating in the program subject to the limitations 29 provided in this section. In order for a person to be eligible 30 to participate in the program, all of the following must apply: 31 a. The person must be any of the following: 32 (1) A terminal operator of a terminal seeking to improve 33 the terminal. 34 (2) The owner or operator of a retail motor fuel site 35 -2- LSB 1929YC (8) 89 da/ns 2/ 9
H.F. _____ seeking to improve the retail motor fuel site. 1 b. The person must apply to the department in a manner and 2 according to procedures required by the infrastructure board. 3 The application must contain all information required by the 4 infrastructure board and shall at least include all of the 5 following: 6 (1) The name of the person and the address of the terminal 7 or retail motor fuel site to be improved. 8 (2) (a) For a terminal, a detailed description of the 9 qualified infrastructure to be installed. 10 (b) For a retail motor fuel site, a detailed description 11 of the qualified infrastructure to be installed, replaced, or 12 converted. The information shall include the model number of 13 each installed, replaced, or converted motor fuel storage tank, 14 if available. 15 (3) A statement describing how the terminal or retail motor 16 fuel site is to be improved, the total estimated cost of the 17 planned improvement, and the proposed date when the qualified 18 infrastructure will be first used following the completion of 19 the improvement. 20 (4) A statement certifying that the qualified 21 infrastructure shall only be used to comply with the provisions 22 of this section and as specified in the cost-share agreement, 23 unless granted a waiver by the infrastructure board pursuant to 24 this section. 25 5. a. A terminal improved using financial incentives 26 awarded under this section must comply with applicable federal 27 and state standards governing new motor fuel tanks and related 28 infrastructure used to store and dispense ethanol or ethanol 29 blended gasoline classified as E-15 or higher. 30 b. A retail motor fuel site improved using financial 31 incentives awarded under this section must comply with 32 applicable federal and state standards governing new or 33 upgraded motor fuel storage tanks used to store and dispense 34 ethanol blended gasoline classified as E-15 or higher including 35 -3- LSB 1929YC (8) 89 da/ns 3/ 9
H.F. _____ as provided in section 455B.474. A retail motor fuel site 1 issued a certificate of no further action by the department 2 of natural resources under that section shall retain its 3 classification following modifications necessary to store 4 ethanol blended gasoline classified as E-15 or higher and the 5 owner or operator of the retail motor fuel site shall not be 6 required to perform a new site assessment unless a new release 7 occurs or if a previously unknown or unforeseen risk condition 8 arises. 9 6. An award of financial incentives to a participating 10 person shall be on a cost-share basis in the form of a grant. 11 To participate in the program, an eligible person must execute 12 a cost-share agreement with the department as approved by 13 the infrastructure board, in which the person contributes a 14 percentage of the total costs related to improving the retail 15 motor fuel site or terminal. 16 a. A cost-share agreement shall be for five years. The 17 infrastructure board may approve multiple improvements to 18 the same terminal or retail motor fuel site so long as the 19 improvements are made under separate cost-share agreements. 20 b. (1) The financial incentives awarded to a participating 21 person to improve a terminal or retail motor fuel site shall 22 not exceed fifty percent of the actual cost of making the 23 improvement or six hundred thousand dollars, whichever is less. 24 (2) The infrastructure board may approve multiple awards of 25 financial incentives to make improvements to the same terminal 26 or retail motor fuel site so long as the total amount of awards 27 does not exceed the limitations provided in subparagraph (1). 28 (3) The infrastructure board shall not award a total of 29 more than one million dollars in financial incentives to a 30 participating person during any twelve-month period. 31 7. A participating person who is a terminal operator awarded 32 financial incentives to improve an existing terminal shall 33 not use the installed motor fuel tank or related qualified 34 infrastructure to store and dispense a biofuel other than 35 -4- LSB 1929YC (8) 89 da/ns 4/ 9
H.F. _____ ethanol or a motor fuel other than ethanol blended gasoline 1 classified as E-15 or higher, unless one of the following 2 applies: 3 a. The participating person is granted a waiver by the 4 infrastructure board. The participating person shall store and 5 dispense the biofuel or motor fuel according to the terms and 6 conditions of the waiver. 7 b. (1) During a fiscal year of the period beginning July 8 1, 2021, and ending June 30, 2031, the E-15 plus gasoline 9 qualified infrastructure fund created in section 159A.17 10 is immediately repaid the total amount awarded to the 11 participating person together with a monetary penalty equal to 12 twenty-five percent of that awarded amount. 13 (2) This subparagraph is repealed January 1, 2032. 14 c. During the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2031, and each 15 fiscal year thereafter, the renewable fuel infrastructure fund 16 created in section 159A.16 is immediately repaid the total 17 amount awarded to the participating person together with a 18 monetary penalty equal to twenty-five percent of that awarded 19 amount. 20 8. A participating person who is the owner or operator 21 of a retail motor fuel site awarded financial incentives to 22 improve an existing retail motor fuel site by installing new or 23 replacing or converting existing qualified infrastructure shall 24 not use the qualified infrastructure to store and dispense 25 motor fuel other than ethanol blended gasoline classified as 26 E-15 or higher, unless one of the following applies: 27 a. The participating person is granted a waiver by the 28 infrastructure board. The participating person shall store or 29 dispense the motor fuel according to the terms and conditions 30 of the waiver. 31 b. The renewable fuel infrastructure fund created in section 32 159A.16 is immediately repaid the total amount of moneys 33 awarded to the participating person together with a monetary 34 penalty equal to twenty-five percent of that awarded amount. 35 -5- LSB 1929YC (8) 89 da/ns 5/ 9
H.F. _____ 9. A participating person may be awarded financial 1 incentives under this section regardless of whether the 2 participating person received financial incentives under the 3 renewable fuel infrastructure program for retail motor fuel 4 sites established in section 159A.14. 5 10. A participating person who acts in violation of an 6 agreement executed with the department pursuant to this section 7 is subject to a civil penalty of not more than one thousand 8 dollars per day for each day of the violation. The civil 9 penalty shall be deposited in the general fund of the state. 10 Sec. 4. Section 159A.16, subsection 3, Code 2021, is amended 11 to read as follows: 12 3. Moneys in the renewable fuel infrastructure fund are 13 appropriated to the department exclusively to support and 14 market the renewable fuel infrastructure programs as provided 15 in sections 159A.14 , 159A.14A, and 159A.15 , and as allocated in 16 financial incentives by the renewable fuel infrastructure board 17 created in section 159A.13 . Up 18 a. (1) For each fiscal year for the period beginning 19 July 1, 2021, and ending June 30, 2031, one million dollars 20 from moneys credited to the renewable fuel infrastructure 21 fund shall be transferred to the E-15 plus gasoline qualified 22 infrastructure fund created in section 159A.17. 23 (2) This paragraph “a” is repealed January 1, 2032. 24 b. Of the remaining moneys in the renewable fuel 25 infrastructure fund, up to fifty thousand dollars shall be 26 allocated each fiscal year to the department to support the 27 administration of the programs. The department may use up to 28 one and one-half percent of the program funds available under 29 this paragraph to market the programs. Otherwise the moneys 30 shall not be transferred, used, obligated, appropriated, or 31 otherwise encumbered except to allocate as financial incentives 32 under the programs. 33 Sec. 5. NEW SECTION . 159A.17 E-15 plus gasoline qualified 34 infrastructure fund. 35 -6- LSB 1929YC (8) 89 da/ns 6/ 9
H.F. _____ 1. An E-15 plus gasoline qualified infrastructure fund 1 is created in the state treasury under the control of the 2 department. The fund is separate from the general fund of the 3 state. 4 2. The E-15 plus gasoline qualified infrastructure fund is 5 composed of moneys appropriated by the general assembly and 6 moneys available to and obtained or accepted by the department 7 from the United States government or private sources for 8 placement in the fund. 9 3. Moneys in the E-15 plus gasoline qualified 10 infrastructure fund are appropriated to the department 11 exclusively to support the E-15 plus gasoline qualified 12 infrastructure program by financing improvements to 13 existing terminals where new fuel storage tanks and related 14 infrastructure are installed as provided in section 159A.14A. 15 4. a. Notwithstanding section 12C.7, interest or earnings 16 on moneys in the E-15 plus gasoline qualified infrastructure 17 fund shall be credited to the fund. 18 b. Notwithstanding section 8.33, unencumbered and 19 unobligated moneys remaining in the fund at the close of each 20 fiscal year shall not revert but shall remain available in the 21 fund for the purposes designated. 22 5. Notwithstanding subsection 3, any unencumbered and 23 unobligated moneys remaining in the E-15 plus gasoline 24 qualified infrastructure fund on June 30, 2031, shall be 25 transferred to the renewable fuel infrastructure fund created 26 in section 159A.16. 27 6. This section is repealed January 1, 2032. 28 EXPLANATION 29 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 30 the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly. 31 This bill creates an E-15 plus gasoline qualified 32 infrastructure program (program) to award financial incentives 33 to improve terminals and retail motor fuel sites (retail 34 sites) by installing new motor fuel storage tanks (e.g., 35 -7- LSB 1929YC (8) 89 da/ns 7/ 9
H.F. _____ underground storage tanks) and associated fittings and 1 equipment. Qualified infrastructure does not include certain 2 items associated with dispensing motor fuel (e.g., motor fuel 3 pumps or tank wagons). The financial awards may also be used 4 to replace or convert qualified infrastructure at retail 5 sites. The moneys are awarded by the department of agriculture 6 and land stewardship (DALS) working in cooperation with the 7 renewable fuel infrastructure board (board) (Code section 8 159A.13). Awards are made to a terminal operator or the owner 9 or operator of a retail site (participating person). The bill 10 imposes caps on the amount that may be awarded to improve a 11 terminal or retail site to the same participating person during 12 any 12-month period. An award to a participating person is 13 based on a five-year cost-share agreement (agreement) executed 14 by the participating person and DALS acting in cooperation with 15 the board. The bill provides that the board may waive the 16 requirement that the improved infrastructure be used to store 17 and dispense ethanol or ethanol blended gasoline classified as 18 E-15 or higher. A participating person who acts in violation 19 of an agreement is subject to a civil penalty of up to $1,000 20 per day. The bill also creates an E-15 plus gasoline qualified 21 infrastructure fund that is used to support the program. The 22 E-15 plus gasoline qualified infrastructure fund is supported 23 by an annual transfer from the renewable fuel infrastructure 24 fund of $1 million for 10 years. Moneys in the new fund must be 25 used to finance improvements to terminals. The new fund and 26 the associated transfer are eliminated after the fiscal year 27 ending June 30, 2031. Improvements to retail sites under the 28 program are financed by the renewable fuel infrastructure fund. 29 BACKGROUND. Ethanol refers to agriculturally derived 30 ethyl alcohol. Generally, ethanol blended fuel is classified 31 according to the volume percent of ethanol in a unit (gallon) 32 of gasoline and must meet certain regulations established by 33 the United States environmental protection agency and A.S.T.M. 34 international specifications (Code section 214A.2). 35 -8- LSB 1929YC (8) 89 da/ns 8/ 9
H.F. _____ The new program is similar to the renewable fuel 1 infrastructure program for retail motor fuel sites that is 2 administered by DALS and the board to improve retail sites by 3 financing infrastructure associated with storing and dispensing 4 ethanol blended gasoline classified as E-15 and E-85 and 5 biodiesel fuel (Code section 159A.14). That program as well 6 as the renewable fuel infrastructure program for biodiesel 7 terminal facilities (Code section 159A.15) is supported by 8 moneys credited to the renewable fuel infrastructure fund (Code 9 section 159A.16). 10 -9- LSB 1929YC (8) 89 da/ns 9/ 9
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