8D.11  Powers — facilities — leases.
  1.  a.  The commission may purchase, lease, and improve property, equipment, and services for telecommunications for public and private agencies and may dispose of property and equipment when not necessary for its purposes. The commission may enter into a contract for the purchase, lease, or improvement of property, equipment, or services for telecommunications pursuant to this subsection in an amount not greater than the contract limitation amount without prior authorization by a constitutional majority of each house of the general assembly, approval by the legislative council if the general assembly is not in session, or the approval of the executive council as provided pursuant to paragraph “b”. A contract entered into under this subsection for an amount exceeding the contract limitation amount shall require prior authorization or approval by the general assembly, the legislative council, or the executive council as provided in this subsection. The commission shall not issue any bonding or other long-term financing arrangements as defined in section 12.30, subsection 1, paragraph “b”. Real or personal property to be purchased by the commission through the use of a financing agreement shall be done in accordance with the provisions of section 12.28, provided, however, that the commission may purchase property, equipment, or services for telecommunications pursuant to a financing agreement in an amount not greater than the contract limitation amount without prior authorization by a constitutional majority of each house of the general assembly, approval by the legislative council if the general assembly is not in session, or the approval of the executive council as provided pursuant to paragraph “b”. A contract entered into under this subsection for an amount exceeding the contract limitation amount shall require prior authorization or approval by the general assembly, the legislative council, or the executive council as provided in this subsection.
  b.  Approval by the executive council as provided under paragraph “a” shall only be permitted if the contract for which the commission is seeking approval is necessary as the result of circumstances constituting a natural disaster or a threat to homeland security.
  c.  For purposes of this subsection, “contract limitation amount” means two million dollars. However, beginning July 1, 2008, and on each succeeding July 1, the director shall adjust the contract limitation amount to be applicable for the twelve-month period commencing on September 1 of the year in which the adjustment is made. The new contract limitation amount shall be published annually as a notice in the Iowa administrative bulletin prior to September 1. The adjusted contract limitation amount shall be calculated by applying the percentage change in the consumer price index for all urban consumers for the most recent available twelve-month period published in the federal register by the United States department of labor, bureau of labor statistics, to the existing contract limitation amount as an increase or decrease, rounded to the nearest dollar. The calculation and publication of the contract limitation amount by the director are exempt from the provisions of chapter 17A.
  2.  The commission also shall not provide or resell communications services to entities other than public and private agencies. The public or private agency shall not provide communication services of the network to another entity unless otherwise authorized pursuant to this chapter. The commission may arrange for joint use of available services and facilities, and may enter into leases and agreements with private and public agencies with respect to the Iowa communications network, and public agencies are authorized to enter into leases and agreements with respect to the network for their use and operation. Rentals and other amounts due under the agreements or leases entered into pursuant to this section by a state agency are payable from funds annually appropriated by the general assembly or from other funds legally available. Other public agencies may pay the rental costs and other amounts due under an agreement or lease from their annual budgeted funds or other funds legally available or to become available.
  3.  This section comprises a complete and independent authorization and procedure for a public agency, with the approval of the commission, to enter into a lease or agreement and this section is not a qualification of any other powers which a public agency may possess and the authorizations and powers granted under this section are not subject to the terms, requirements, or limitations of any other provisions of law, except that the commission must comply with the provisions of section 12.28 when entering into financing agreements for the purchase of real or personal property. All moneys received by the commission from agreements and leases entered into pursuant to this section with private and public agencies shall be deposited in the Iowa communications network fund.
  4.  A political subdivision receiving communications services from the state as of April 1, 1986, may continue to do so but communications services shall not be provided or resold to additional political subdivisions other than a school corporation, a city library, and a county library as provided in chapter 336. The rates charged to the political subdivision shall be the same as the rates charged to state agencies.
86 Acts, ch 1245, §309

87 Acts, ch 233, §131; 89 Acts, ch 319, §32; 93 Acts, ch 48, §9; 94 Acts, ch 1184, §13, 29

96 Acts, ch 1177, §1; 2001 Acts, ch 158, §3; 2007 Acts, ch 116, §2; 2011 Acts, ch 132, §38, 106

Commission authorized to enter into contracts in excess of contract limitation amount for purposes of grant project associated with federal broadband technology opportunities program grant; 2011 Acts, ch 123, §19, 20