AN ACT relating to soil and water conservation.

Amend KRS 262.330 to include heavy or specialized equipment acquired by the Soil and Water Conservation Commission with the types of equipment that the board of a conservation district may make available or lease to landowners and occupiers within the district; allow the equipment to be used on the lessee's or renter's land or on the lands of others; provide that the purposes of the heavy or specialized equipment are for conserving soil resources, preventing soil erosion, and the conservation and protection of water resources related to those purposes; amend KRS 262.610 to require that all heavy or specialized equipment purchased or made available be used to conserve soil resources, prevent and control soil erosion, and conserve and protect water resources related to those purposes; allow a conservation district to apply jointly with a person residing in the district to the Soil and Water Conservation Commission to acquire heavy or specialized equipment; prohibit the joint application by conservation districts and persons for the acquisition of infrastructure; amend KRS 262.620 and 262.630 to conform; amend KRS 262.660 to require the Soil and Water Conservation Commission on or before January 1, 2024, to promulgate administrative regulations that set forth the form and manner in which a person and a conservation district may jointly request the acquisition of heavy or specialized equipment, the terms of loans for heavy or specialized equipment that the commission makes available to districts for lease to persons within those districts, the terms of the lease agreements between districts and persons in those district for use of the heavy or specialized equipment, and the proportions of time that the equipment shall be used on the lessee's or renter's lands and on the lands of others; require lease agreements to allow lessees to use the heavy or specialized equipment outside of their own lands, and with prior approval of the board of the leasing district, on lands outside of their districts.