Category: Government Oversight Committee

HF 764 – Publication procedures for constitutional amendments

HF 764 removes the constitutional amendment notification publishing duties from the Secretary of State and gives them to the Legislature. The bill still requires the Secretary of State to pay for the publishing. HF 764 keeps the newspaper publishing requirement and adds a requirement to publish proposed amendments on the Legislature’s website.

The validity of an amendment may be challenged if both the newspaper and website publications are not fulfilled. The bill lays out proof-of-publication requirements and strikes the requirement for the Governor to issue a proclamation before the election. Any proposed constitutional amendment that has been approved by two succeeding General Assemblies will go to a vote of the people in the next General Election.

Previously, amendments had to be published by the Secretary of State in two newspapers of general circulation in each congressional district for the time required by the constitution. Last fall, the Secretary of State was derelict in his duties and neglected to publish two proposed amendments. This mistake reset the process for the strict scrutiny gun amendment and the line-of-succession to Governorship amendment.
[4/27: 40-8 (No: Bolkcom, Dotzler, Giddens, Hogg, Mathis, Petersen, Quirmbach, J. Smith; Excused: Lykam, T. Taylor)]

All bills passed by the Legislature and sent to the Governor for her signature during the 2018 session. 

SJR 2011 – Joint resolution authorizing ABATE to hold a toy benefit at Capitol
HF 2475 – Government ethics and regulation of lobbyists/gifts
HF 2488 – Temporary permits to practice cosmetology

SJR 2011 allows the A Brotherhood Aimed Towards Education (ABATE) to hold a motorcycle rally toy run on October 14, 2018. ABATE of Iowa plans to sell commemorative t-shirts, sweatshirts, lapel pins and patches for the benefit of Iowa children and to defray the costs of a police escort. The resolution is needed because current rules prohibit merchandise sales on the State Capitol complex grounds without prior approval.

HF 2475 concerns the ethics and regulation of lobbyists and gifts. Currently, the definition of “lobbyist” has eight exceptions, including that a person is not a lobbyist if they are a member, director, trustee, officer or committee member of a business, trade, labor, farm, professional, religious, education or charitable association, foundation or organization, who is not paid or is not specifically designated as a lobbyist. For that exception to apply, the person must not be paid compensation AND must not be specifically designated as a lobbyist.

HF 2488 allows the Board of Cosmetology Arts and Sciences to issue a temporary permit to practice cosmetology, to demonstrate cosmetology arts and sciences, or to provide cosmetology arts and sciences services at not-for-profit events. The permit is issued for a specific event and may be issued to a person, salon, or school of cosmetology arts and sciences. The temporary permit must be posted and visible to the public at the location where the cosmetology arts and sciences services are provided. The temporary permit is valid for no more than 12 days. An application and fee must be submitted at least 30 days before the permit is needed. The board cannot issue more than four temporary permits to an applicant in a calendar year. A person providing cosmetology arts and sciences services at a not-for-profit event must hold a current license to practice.

The following bills were passed by the Legislature and signed into law by the Governor.

SF 499 – Monitoring devices in public places
HF 601 – Confidentiality of cyber-security information

SF 499 prohibits the state or a political subdivision, including a public library, public school or other government office open to the public, from using a monitoring device in a toilet, bath or shower facility, locker room or other space where a person has a reasonable expectation of privacy. The bill defines “monitoring device” as a digital video and audio streaming or recording device. The bill nullifies any local ordinance, rule or other measure that permits using such monitoring devices. This bill is in response to an American Civil Liberties Union complaint against the Iowa City Public Library over privacy concerns with security cameras. In 2013, the ACLU of Iowa obtained recordings from the common areas of men’s and women’s restrooms via a public records request. The footage showed patrons changing their clothes. The epilepsy ward at the University of Iowa may keep cameras/monitoring equipment in their bathroom for safety reasons.
[4/11: 49-0 (Allen excused)]

HF 601 provides for the confidentiality of certain cyber-security and infrastructure information developed and maintained by the government. The bill is at the request of municipal utilities, who thought the provisions were already covered under current law. The Governor has signed a bill regarding protection of cyber-security information for the Iowa Utilities Board. This bill mirrors that language.
[4/5: 50-0]