A $545 million bonding proposal passed the Iowa House at around 1:45 a.m. Saturday morning.

The bill, Senate File 376, marks the biggest chunk of what will eventually be more than $800 million in bonding bills aimed at flood recovery and infrastructure repair. The measure passed on a 53-43 vote.

As part of Gov. Chet Culver’s I-JOBS recovery plan, the bill establishes an 11-member board within the Iowa Finance Authority to oversee payment of the bonds and ensure the projects fit into the program’s criteria, which include the number of jobs created, the project’s readiness to proceed immediately, and the project’s energy efficiency, among other things.

Some of the highlights of the plan include:

- $185.8 million for competitive grants for local infrastructure projects related to disaster recovery.

- $165 million in bonds will be issued for flood prevention, reconstruction and replacement of local buildings.

-$55 million for water improvement projects.

-$20 million for affordable housing assistance grants.

-$25 million for public broadband technology grants.

-$50 million for bridge safety fund.