House File 2620 - Introduced
HOUSE FILE 2620
BY BAGNIEWSKI
A BILL FOR
1 An Act regulating commercial transactions involving commercial
2 sod containing entwined plastic netting, and providing
3 penalties.
4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
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 H.F. 2620
1 Section 1. NEW SECTION. 199A.1 Definitions.
2 As used in this chapter, unless the context otherwise
3 requires:
4 1. “Commercial sod” or “sod” means any variety of grass
5 planted on a layer of soil and cut into pallets or rolls for
6 transport and permanent installation on land.
7 2. “Department” means the department of agriculture and land
8 stewardship.
9 3. “Entwined commercial sod” means commercial sod that is
10 entwined with plastic netting in a manner that increases its
11 stability.
12 Sec. 2. NEW SECTION. 199A.2 Sales notice —— offense.
13 A person engaged in the business of selling commercial sod
14 on a wholesale or retail basis shall not sell or offer for sale
15 entwined commercial sod, unless the person notifies a person
16 purchasing the sod that the sod is entwined commercial sod.
17 Sec. 3. NEW SECTION. 199A.3 Installation notice —— offense.
18 A person engaged in the business of installing commercial
19 sod on real property owned by another person shall not install
20 entwined commercial sod on the real property, unless the person
21 notifies a person owning the land that the commercial sod is
22 entwined commercial sod.
23 Sec. 4. NEW SECTION. 199A.4 Notice requirements.
24 The department shall adopt rules providing requirements for
25 the type of notice required under this chapter. The notice may
26 be in the form of a label, conspicuously placed placard, or
27 written statement that meets requirements established by the
28 department.
29 Sec. 5. NEW SECTION. 199A.5 Rules.
30 The department shall adopt rules necessary or desirable to
31 administer this chapter.
32 Sec. 6. NEW SECTION. 199A.6 Penalty.
33 A person committing a violation of this chapter is guilty
34 of a simple misdemeanor punishable by a fine of five hundred
35 dollars.
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 H.F. 2620
1 EXPLANATION
2 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with
3 the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly.
4 This bill regulates certain commercial sod (sod) planted on
5 a layer of soil and cut into pallets or rolls for transport
6 and permanent installation on land. The bill’s provisions
7 are administered by the department of agriculture and land
8 stewardship (DALS). It addresses two situations: first,
9 the purchase of sod for later installation; and second,
10 the purchase of the sod’s installation. In each of the two
11 situations, notice has to be provided to a purchaser if the
12 sod is entwined with plastic netting. In the first situation,
13 notice must be given to the purchaser of the sod by a person
14 selling the sod; and in the second situation, notice must be
15 given to the purchaser of the sod’s installation by the person
16 installing the sod. DALS is responsible for adopting rules
17 providing for notice requirements. A person who violates a
18 notice requirement is guilty of a simple misdemeanor punishable
19 by a fine of $500.
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