Why It Matters: Iowa legislators have been busy introducing legislation that is both positive and negative for sportsmen and women. Two new pieces of legislation have been introduced and are making their way through the legislative process before the March 7 “funnel” date. One bill aims to repeal the Natural Resource and Outdoor Recreation Trust Fund, while the other looks to establish a firearm, hunting, and wildlife curriculum in schools.
Highlights:
- Iowa Senate Joint Resolution 6 (SJR 6) was introduced to repeal the Natural Resource and Outdoor Recreation Trust Fund that was established and voted on in 2010 and replace it with a property tax relief trust fund.
- Iowa House File 536 (HF 536) would create a firearm, hunting, and wildlife curriculum that can be implemented in school districts as an elective for students enrolled in grades six through eighth.
- House Joint Resolution 7 (HJR 7) and Senate Joint Resolution 7 (SJR 7) are proposed constitutional amendments to protect the right to hunt, fish, and trap in the Hawkeye State.
- The implementation of a hunting and wildlife curriculum is a state-level legislative priority of the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF).
The Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation has been actively tracking and engaging on legislation, both positive and negative, in the Hawkeye State. Two of these bills are quickly moving through the legislative process as the first funnel date approaches.
Iowa Senate Joint Resolution 6 was introduced to repeal Section 10 of Article VII of the Iowa Constitution, the Natural Resource and Outdoor Recreation Trust Fund, and replace it with a property tax relief trust fund. In 2010, 62.6% of Iowa’s voters supported the constitutional amendment to establish the Natural Resource and Outdoor Trust Fund. The Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation submitted testimony in opposition to SJR 6 highlighting the importance the Trust Fund will have once it is funded since the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) currently relies solely on the American System of Conservation Funding (ASCF) for their conservation efforts. To begin funding the Natural Resource and Outdoor Recreation Trust Fund, the state sales tax must increase by 1%, which would trigger the existing law that would direct three-eighths of a percent of the tax revenue into the Trust Fund.
House File 536 was introduced to create a firearm, hunting, and wildlife curriculum that can be implemented in school districts as an elective for students enrolled in sixth through eighth grade. If passed, HF 536 would teach students firearm safety, Iowa’s hunting laws and regulations, wildlife conservation concepts, ethical hunting practices, outdoor survival skills, and first aid. This would provide students who may not be exposed to hunting and our-time honored outdoor traditions at home with the opportunity to get hands-on experiences through their school curriculum, while potentially also recruiting the next generation of sportsmen and women in the Hawkeye State.
