BHB/8/10
Sponsored by Mya Sneideman of Soddy Daisy High School
This legislation was filed in the Environment and Conservation category
Presented as part of the YIG Volunteer 2024 conference
| 1 | BE IT ENACTED BY THE TENNESSEE YMCA YOUTH IN GOVERNMENT |
| 2 | Section 1: Terms in this act shall be defined as follows: |
| 3 | Residential Developers - a person whose job involves buying and selling buildings and land, and |
| 4 | arranging for new buildings to be built. In this case, homes that are meant to be lived in. |
| 5 | Impact Fee- a one-time charge imposed on developers to fund the creation of additional public |
| 6 | services that are attributed to all the development and growth of the community. |
| 7 | Total Project Cost - The amount of money a developer puts into the process of planning, |
| 8 | constructing, and completing residential buildings or developments. |
| 9 | Environmental Conservation - this refers to the protection, preservation, and management of |
| 10 | natural resources/ecosystems to maintain balance and ensure long-term environmental health. |
| 11 | Allocate - distribute (resources or duties) for a particular purpose. |
| 12 | |
| 13 | Section 2: Residential developers must pay a minimum tax of 2% of their project’s total cost to |
| 14 | support local park improvements and conservation within the growing community. |
| 15 | |
| 16 | Section 3: Local government officials decide the impact the construction will have and may raise |
| 17 | the fee accordingly. The fee will be assessed during the planning phase of the project. As the |
| 18 | project progresses, it will be up to the proper authorities as to how they will adjust the fee. |
| 19 | |
| 20 | Section 4: The criteria of a build and the according fee will mostly be left up to local officials, but |
| 21 | they should assess some factors before making their decision. For example, they should look over |
| 22 | these factors: how much will the project raise the local population or amount of visiting tourists, |
| 23 | how much waste and possible pollution will the growing community make, will the project require |
| 24 | new infrastructure such as roads, and is the development already nearby a park our place for |
| 25 | outdoor recreation. |
| 26 | |
| 27 | Section 5: If the developer is in financial distress, the local government can reassess the |
| 28 | percentage cost. Also, if the project is never completed, the fee will not be mandated. |
| 29 | |
| 30 | Section 6: Financial aid may be considered if an individual who otherwise could pay off their |
| 31 | project costs isn’t able to do so as a result of the fee. |
| 32 | |
| 33 | Section 7: The money raised by this fee will be used to construct and maintain nearby parks as |
| 34 | well as fund conservation efforts to keep the environment clean. It will be up to the local |
| 35 | |
| 36 | Section 8: The organizations that receive funding must report on their improvements annually. If |
| 37 | the authorities find out that an organization hasn’t been using the funding properly they may hold |
| 38 | them accountable in court. They will then immediately transfer the funds to the next important |
| 39 | environmental agency of their choice. |
| 40 | |
| 41 | Section 9: The edition of this course will cost the government nothing since it is only a way to fund |
| 42 | environmental projects. The only possible cost should come if there is a government-mandated |
| 43 | residential project, to which then an unbiased party in local government should determine a |
| 44 | reasonable fee. |
| 45 | |
| 46 | Section 10: All laws or parts of laws in conflict with this are hereby repealed. |
| 47 | |
| 48 | Section 11: This act shall take effect January 1st, 2026 the public welfare requiring it. |
| 49 |