Economic Development Authority readopts strategic infrastructure rules; lawmakers seek clarity on "commonly utilized assets"

The Economic Development Authority (EDA) presented a readoption of its strategic infrastructure chapter (chapter 118) that rescinds duplicative language, incorporates a 2024 legislative change to the approval process and clarifies the role of a review committee.

The readoption matters because the strategic infrastructure program funds projects that create commonly utilized assets or physical infrastructure that provide advantage to private-sector entities; legislators said the scope of the program could attract renewed interest amid discussions of revolving funds and infrastructure investments.

EDA staff said they were rescinding and readopting the chapter pursuant to executive order 10 and to incorporate legislative changes from 2024 (Senate File 2385). When asked to define a "commonly utilized asset," staff said the program's definition appears in Iowa Code section 15.3.13 (the code was not before the committee in full), and that the program historically has been used by regional institutions for projects supporting economic development and manufacturing experimentation.

A senator asked for examples of projects funded by the program. EDA staff recalled projects supporting a 3-D printing initiative at Iowa State University and a manufacturing experimentation project at the University of Northern Iowa and offered to provide the committee with more detailed project descriptions and documentation of past awards.

Members said a clearer statutory or rule definition would be useful if the program is to be considered more broadly this session; EDA staff agreed to provide project descriptions and additional background to the committee.

No committee action was taken at the meeting; the agency's readopted chapter remains a proposed filing pending any follow-up or formal adopted submission.