46-1121.

Fees; Chemigation Costs Fund; created; investment; annual permits; renewal.

(1) To aid in defraying the cost of administration of the Nebraska Chemigation Act, the district shall collect an initial application fee for a permit, a special permit fee, an annual renewal fee, and an emergency permit fee. The fees shall be established by the district and shall be sufficient to cover the ongoing administrative costs and the costs of annual inspection programs by the district and department. The fees collected pursuant to this section shall be established by the district in the amount necessary to pay reasonable costs of administering the permit program pursuant to the act. The fee for a permit and special permit shall not exceed one hundred fifty dollars. The fee for a renewal permit shall not exceed one hundred dollars. The fee for an emergency permit under section 46-1119 shall not exceed five hundred dollars. The district shall adopt and promulgate rules and regulations establishing a fee schedule to be paid to the district by a person or persons applying for a permit to operate a chemigation system.

(2) The fee for initial application for a permit or special permit shall be payable to the district. For each permit, five dollars shall be paid by the district to the department.

(3) The annual fee for renewal of a permit or special permit shall be payable to the district. For each permit, two dollars of the annual fee shall be paid by the district to the department.

(4) All fees shall be used by the district and the department to administer the Nebraska Chemigation Act. The department's fee shall be credited to the Chemigation Costs Fund which is hereby created. All fees collected by the department pursuant to the act shall be remitted to the State Treasurer for credit to the fund. Transfers may be made from the fund to the General Fund at the direction of the Legislature. Any money in the Chemigation Costs Fund available for investment shall be invested by the state investment officer pursuant to the Nebraska Capital Expansion Act and the Nebraska State Funds Investment Act.

(5) All permits issued pursuant to sections 46-1117 and 46-1117.01 shall be annual permits and shall expire each year on June 1. A permit may be renewed each year upon payment of the annual renewal fee and completion of a form provided by the district which lists the names of all chemicals used in chemigation the previous year. Once a permit has expired, it shall not be reinstated without meeting all of the requirements for a new permit including an inspection and payment of the initial application fee.