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LEGISLATURE OF NEBRASKA
ONE HUNDRED EIGHTH LEGISLATURE
FIRST SESSION
LEGISLATIVE BILL 729
Introduced by McDonnell, 5.
Read first time January 18, 2023
Committee: Natural Resources
1 A BILL FOR AN ACT relating to the Jobs and Economic Development
2 Initiative Fund; to amend section 61-405, Revised Statutes
3 Cumulative Supplement, 2022; to authorize economic impact studies as
4 prescribed; and to repeal the original section.
5 Be it enacted by the people of the State of Nebraska,
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1 Section 1. Section 61-405, Revised Statutes Cumulative Supplement,
2 2022, is amended to read:
3 61-405 (1) The Jobs and Economic Development Initiative Fund is
4 created. The fund shall be administered by the Department of Natural
5 Resources. The State Treasurer shall credit to the fund any money
6 transferred to the fund by the Legislature and such donations, gifts,
7 bequests, or other money received from any federal or state agency or
8 public or private source. The fund shall be used for water and
9 recreational projects pursuant to the Jobs and Economic Development
10 Initiative Act. Any money in the fund available for investment shall be
11 invested by the state investment officer pursuant to the Nebraska Capital
12 Expansion Act and the Nebraska State Funds Investment Act. Any investment
13 earnings from investment of money in the fund shall be credited to the
14 fund.
15 (2) An amount, not to exceed twenty million dollars, shall be
16 available for site selection costs, feasibility and public water supply
17 studies, economic impact studies, and flood mitigation costs of the
18 Department of Natural Resources related to any projects pursuant to the
19 Jobs and Economic Development Initiative Act. The Department of Natural
20 Resources shall, in cooperation with impacted communities, including, but
21 not limited to, any city of the primary class and metropolitan utilities
22 district, contract with an independent consultant to conduct a study on
23 the consequences of any lake located in the Lower Platte River Basin to
24 the public water supply of such communities. Such study shall consider
25 all aspects of water quality, water quantity, and water infrastructure,
26 and any other issues necessary to protect the public water supply,
27 including the impact to future water supply opportunities to the impacted
28 communities.
29 (3) No funds shall be expended for any project, other than those
30 enumerated in subsection (2) of this section, from the Jobs and Economic
31 Development Initiative Fund unless the Director of Natural Resources
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1 certifies to the budget administrator of the budget division of the
2 Department of Administrative Services that the Department of Natural
3 Resources has conducted any environmental, hydrological, or other
4 feasibility studies the director deems necessary to establish the
5 feasibility of any projects pursuant to the Jobs and Economic Development
6 Initiative Act and that, based on the results of such studies, the
7 director has deemed the projects feasible.
8 Sec. 2. Original section 61-405, Revised Statutes Cumulative
9 Supplement, 2022, is repealed.
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Statutes affected:
Introduced: 61-405