Bill No.:                       SF0106                                    Drafter:  DKG

 

LSO No.:                     13LSO-0401                            Effective Date:  Immediate

 

Enrolled Act No.:       SEA0086

 

Chapter No.:               CH0156

 

Prime Sponsor:           Joint Appropriations Interim Committee

 

Catch Title:                 Projects funded by abandoned mine land funds.

 

Subject:                       Amendments to 2012 Abandoned Mine Lands Funding.

 

Summary/Major Elements:

·         This act amends the 2012 Abandoned Mine Land (AML) Funding Act (2012 Wyoming Session Laws, Chapter 27).  The 2012 AML bill provided for the submittal of grant applications by DEQ to the Federal Office of Surface Mining (OSM) for both future AML funds and redirection of prior AML fund authorizations.

·         This act acknowledges and ratifies the action of the Governor in substituting general funds for AML funds authorized for the University of Wyoming (UW) Arena Auditorium renovation project in the 2012 AML bill.  The Legislature finds that no AML funds were used in the Arena Auditorium renovation project.

·         Modifies the requirements for the release of matching funds for the Arena Auditorium renovation project and removes the requirement that no funds shall be distributed to the University of Wyoming until revenue bonds for the project have been issued.

·         Modifies requirements from the 2012 AML bill relating to expenditure of $1,000,000 on a compressed natural gas fueling station or vehicles operating on compressed natural gas.  This act incorporates new requirements before these funds are expended including a budget submission before vehicles are purchased and further authorization of the legislature before funds are expended.

·         Amends the $9,000,000 authorization for advanced conversion technology (ACT) grants:

§  Funds shall only be expended for the design or construction of a commercial scale facility which converts minerals to value added products;

§  Modifies and limits the role of the Advanced Conversion Technology Task Force in reviewing ACT grant applications;

§  Governor may request a determination from the ACT Task Force and the Joint Minerals, Business and Economic Development Interim Committee that the grant has a reasonable likelihood of leveraging a substantial future capital investment in a large plant siting in this state;

§  Provides additional requirements before these ACT grant funds may be expended, including determination by the Attorney General that the proposed use of the grant funds is lawful and by the Governor that the facility is of substantial benefit to the public.

·         DEQ shall submit new grant applications or modify existing grant applications to OSM to redirect $13,000,000 previously authorized in the 2008 and 2011 budget bills for the High Plains Gasification Center to UW for the construction of a new College of Engineering Building.

·         Appropriates $15,800,000 from the AML Funds Balancing Account under W.S. 35-11-1210(e) to an account for the construction of a new College of Engineering Building at UW.  Of these funds, $3,000,000 shall only be expended for endowments at UW for specified programs within the College of Engineering and Applied Science.

·         Redirects $30,000,000 authorized in the 2009 budget bill to the Joint UW/GE Clean Coal Partnership Project to the Water Development Office for deposit in the Gillette Madison Pipeline Account.