Bill Text: IA HF2247 | 2019-2020 | 88th General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: A bill for an act relating to the Iowa utilities board, including the number of members, the terms of the members, and restrictions on membership.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2020-02-05 - Introduced, referred to Commerce. H.J. 193. [HF2247 Detail]
Download: Iowa-2019-HF2247-Introduced.html
House
File
2247
-
Introduced
HOUSE
FILE
2247
BY
STAED
A
BILL
FOR
An
Act
relating
to
the
Iowa
utilities
board,
including
1
the
number
of
members,
the
terms
of
the
members,
and
2
restrictions
on
membership.
3
BE
IT
ENACTED
BY
THE
GENERAL
ASSEMBLY
OF
THE
STATE
OF
IOWA:
4
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Section
1.
Section
474.1,
subsection
1,
Code
2020,
is
1
amended
to
read
as
follows:
2
1.
a.
A
utilities
division
is
created
within
the
department
3
of
commerce.
The
policymaking
body
for
the
division
is
the
4
utilities
board
which
is
created
within
the
division.
The
5
board
is
composed
of
three
five
members
appointed
by
the
6
governor
and
subject
to
confirmation
by
the
senate,
not
more
7
than
two
three
of
whom
shall
be
from
the
same
political
party.
8
Each
member
appointed
shall
serve
for
six-year
five-year
9
staggered
terms
beginning
and
ending
as
provided
by
section
10
69.19
.
Vacancies
shall
be
filled
for
the
unexpired
portion
of
11
the
term
in
the
same
manner
as
full-term
appointments
are
made.
12
b.
A
person
appointed
as
a
member
of
the
board
shall
be
13
professionally
qualified
by
relevant
experience
in
public
14
utility
regulation.
15
c.
All
appointments
of
board
members
made
pursuant
to
this
16
section
shall
comply
with
sections
69.16,
69.16A,
and
69.16C.
17
d.
To
the
greatest
extent
possible,
the
members
of
the
board
18
shall
represent
diverse
geographic
areas
of
the
state.
19
Sec.
2.
Section
474.2,
Code
2020,
is
amended
to
read
as
20
follows:
21
474.2
Certain
persons
barred
from
office.
22
1.
No
person
in
the
employ
of
any
common
carrier
or
other
23
public
utility,
or
owning
any
bonds,
stock,
or
property
in
24
any
public
utility
shall
be
eligible
to
hold
the
office
of
25
utilities
board
member
or
chief
operating
officer
of
the
26
utilities
board.
The
entering
into
the
employ
of
any
common
27
carrier
or
other
public
utility
or
the
acquiring
of
any
stock
28
or
other
interest
in
any
common
carrier
or
other
public
utility
29
by
such
member
or
chief
operating
officer
after
appointment
30
shall
disqualify
the
member
or
chief
operating
officer
to
hold
31
or
perform
the
duties
of
the
office.
32
2.
a.
No
person
who
has
served
in
a
statewide
elected
33
office
or
as
a
member
of
the
general
assembly
shall
be
eligible
34
to
hold
the
office
of
utilities
board
member
until
two
years
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after
the
termination
of
such
service.
1
b.
No
person
who
has
been
a
candidate
for
public
office
2
shall
be
eligible
to
hold
the
office
of
utilities
board
member
3
until
two
years
after
the
general
election
for
that
office.
4
EXPLANATION
5
The
inclusion
of
this
explanation
does
not
constitute
agreement
with
6
the
explanation’s
substance
by
the
members
of
the
general
assembly.
7
This
bill
relates
to
the
Iowa
utilities
board,
including
the
8
number
of
members,
the
terms
of
the
members,
and
restrictions
9
on
membership.
10
The
bill
expands
the
size
of
the
board
from
three
members
11
to
five
members.
Current
law
provides
that
not
more
than
two
12
members
of
the
board
shall
be
from
the
same
political
party.
13
The
bill
modifies
this
provision
to
provide
that
not
more
than
14
three
members
of
the
board
shall
be
from
the
same
political
15
party.
In
addition,
the
bill
reduces
the
term
of
board
members
16
from
six
years
to
five
years.
17
The
bill
requires
a
person
appointed
as
a
member
of
the
board
18
to
be
professionally
qualified
by
relevant
experience
in
public
19
utility
regulation.
The
bill
also
requires
appointments
to
20
the
board
to
be
subject
to
Code
section
69.16,
which
provides
21
for
the
bipartisan
composition
of
appointive
boards;
Code
22
section
69.16A,
which
provides
for
gender
balance
on
appointive
23
boards;
and
Code
section
69.16C,
which
provides
for
minority
24
representation
on
appointive
boards.
The
bill
additionally
25
provides
that
members
of
the
board
shall
represent
diverse
26
geographic
areas
of
this
state
to
the
greatest
extent
possible.
27
The
bill
places
restrictions
on
whom
the
governor
may
28
appoint
to
the
board.
The
bill
provides
that
no
person
who
29
has
served
in
statewide
elected
office
or
as
a
member
of
the
30
general
assembly
shall
be
eligible
until
two
years
after
the
31
termination
of
such
service.
The
bill
also
provides
that
no
32
person
who
has
been
a
candidate
for
public
office
shall
be
33
eligible
until
two
years
after
the
general
election
for
that
34
office.
35
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