This bill allows counties in Iowa to adopt a confinement feeding operations siting ordinance, which grants county boards of supervisors the authority to approve or disapprove the location of construction or expansion of confinement feeding operation structures with an animal unit capacity of 1,000 or more. The ordinance can impose conditions on the construction or operation of these structures and may establish greater separation distance requirements than those mandated by existing state law. Additionally, the bill clarifies that counties cannot enforce regulations on animal production activities unless explicitly authorized by state law, and it specifies that certain existing regulations do not apply if a county has adopted a siting ordinance.

Key amendments include the insertion of provisions that allow counties to regulate the siting of confinement feeding operations while ensuring that any county legislation conflicting with state law is void. The bill also modifies existing language to clarify that ordinances do not require applications or fees for certain agricultural structures to be deemed inapplicable, and it introduces new subsections that outline the conditions under which counties can exercise their authority regarding confinement feeding operations. Overall, the bill aims to enhance local control over the management and siting of large-scale animal feeding operations while maintaining compliance with state regulations.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 331.304A, 335.2, 459.202, 459.304