The Legislative Council met June 2nd and adopted assignments for various Interim Study Committees.

2010 Interim Study Committees of interest to Farm Bureau:

COMMISSION ON STATE TAX AND FINANCING POLICY (IC 2-5-3-2)

THE COMMISSION IS CHARGED WITH STUDYING THE FOLLOWING TOPICS:

A. Allocation and distribution of county adjusted gross income taxes (lC 6-3.5-1.1), county option income taxes (lC 6-3.5·6), and county economic developmentincome taxes (lC 6-3.5-7) to civil taxing units within a county, including the allocation of revenues derived from a public safety tax rate imposed under IC 6·3.5-1.1-25 or IC 6-3.5-6-31 (HEA 1086-2010);

B. State and local road funding, including the following:

(1) existing sources of state and local road funding

(2) existing and historical distribution and appropriation levels for state and local road funding

(3) funding needs for state and local roads

(4) alternative strategies to replace or supplement the motor carrier fuel tax imposed under IC 6-6-4.1

(5) alternative funding sources and revenue collection system, including user and nonuser fees

(6) strategies to maximize public awareness of the benefits of investments in transportation

(7) road funding and its effect on economic activity and personal mobility in Indiana (HB 1342);

C. Tax credits for contributions to K-12 foundations (SR 32);

D. Dynamic fiscal scoring (SR 57); and

E. Fire protection districts and territories, including their funding, services, and costs (Representative Cherry).

NATURAL RESOURCES STUDY COMMITTEE (IC 2-5-5-1)

THE COMMITTEE IS CHARGED WITH STUDYING THE FOLLOWING TOPICS:

Whether new or amended statutes or rules are appropriate concerning the

following:

(I) The safety of miners who could be affected by coal bed methane extraction activities;

(2) Coal bed methane well spacing, unit, and bonding requirements;

(3) The relative interests with respect to real property of:

(A) the owner of the right to coal bed methane

(B) the owner or owners of the surface rights and other mineral rights

(4) Requirements with respect to real property for the owner of the right to coal bed methane to give notice of coal bed methane extraction activities to the  owners of the surface rights and other mineral rights;

(5) Requirements for the issuance of permits for the extraction of coal bed

methane, including public notice of the filing of permit applications;

(6) Requirements for the protection of surface water and ground water from any potential effects of coal bed methane extraction activities;

(7) Encouragement of the development of coal bed methane that adequately takes into account the protection of commercially minable coal resources;

(8) The right of the person, who is entitled to develop a well for oil and gas purposes with respect to real property and who is not the owner of the surface rights, to enter the property for extraction activities and the responsibility of that person to pay damages or compensation to the owner of the surface rights;

(9) The adequacy of conventional oil and gas statutes and rules to protect

the owners of the surface rights to real property, the public, and commercially minable coal resources;

(10) Any other issue the committee considers appropriate. (HEA 1265-20I0)

INTERIM STUDY COMMITTEE ON ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT (HEA 1086)

THE COMMITTEE IS CHARGED WITH STUDYING THE FOLLOWING TOPICS:

A. Best practices in state and local economic development policies and activities;

B. The use and effectiveness of tax credits and deductions;

C. Whether there are any specific sectors of the economy for which Indiana might have comparative advantages over other states;

D. The extent to which Indiana's tax laws encourage business investment, and any improvements that might be made to Indiana's tax laws;

E. The extent to which Indiana's education systems support economic development; and

F. The benefits of existing community revitalization enhancement districts and

possible new community revitalization enhancement districts as an economic

development tool.