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Committee sends bill to repurpose returned federal hydropower fees toward mining permitting support
Summary
Senate Bill 1020 would direct modest sums returned from federal hydropower licensing to a dedicated state fund to help miners pay permitting costs such as NEPA compliance; the committee gave the bill a do‑pass recommendation after sponsor and industry testimony.
Representative John Schertz presented Senate Bill 1020 to the House Resources and Conservation Committee, saying the measure would place funds remitted to the state from federal hydropower licensing (FERC-related returns) into a separate fund to help miners pay for permitting costs, including National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) compliance and related permitting work.
Schertz described the amount remitted as modest — about $150,000 — and said it presently goes to the general fund. SB 1020 would place those remittances in a dedicated fund to be used to assist the state's mining sector with permitting costs. "It's not a ton of money, but it's desperately needed as we continue to try to grow mining in this state," Schertz said.
Will Hart, representing the Idaho Consumer Owned Utilities Association, signed in to testify and voiced support for the measure. Committee members asked where the money goes now; Schertz answered that the returns now go into the general fund and are too small to be used for forecasting in their current treatment.
Representative Andrus and others moved and seconded a motion to send the bill to the floor with a do‑pass recommendation; the committee approved the motion by voice vote. The transcript records the committee's approval; detailed roll-call tallies were not provided.
Votes at a glance
- Motion: Send Senate Bill 1020 to the floor with a do‑pass recommendation. Mover: Representative Andrus. Outcome: Approved (voice vote; exact tallies not specified).
Ending
With the committee’s endorsement, SB 1020 will go to the House floor. The bill creates a targeted funding mechanism for mining permit support using existing returned hydropower license funds; the amount involved was described in committee as roughly $150,000 annually.
