8D.9  Certification of use — network use by certain authorized users.
  1.  A private or public agency, other than a state agency, local school district or nonpublic school, city library, county library, judicial branch, judicial district department of correctional services, agency of the federal government, a hospital or physician clinic, or a post office authorized to be offered access pursuant to this chapter as of May 18, 1994, shall certify to the commission no later than July 1, 1994, that the agency is a part of or intends to become a part of the network. Upon receiving such certification from an agency not a part of the network on May 18, 1994, the commission shall provide for the connection of such agency as soon as practical. An agency which does not certify to the commission that the agency is a part of or intends to become a part of the network as required by this subsection shall be prohibited from using the network.
  2.  a.  A private or public agency, other than an institution under the control of the state board of regents, a private college or university, or a nonpublic school, which certifies to the commission pursuant to subsection 1 that the agency is a part of or intends to become a part of the network shall use the network for all video, data, and voice requirements of the agency unless the private or public agency petitions the commission for a waiver and one of the following applies:
  (1)  The costs to the authorized user for services provided on the network are not competitive with the same services provided by another provider.
  (2)  The authorized user is under contract with another provider for such services, provided the contract was entered into prior to April 1, 1994. The agency shall use the network for video, data, and voice requirements which are not provided pursuant to such contract.
  (3)  The authorized user has entered into an agreement with the commission to become part of the network prior to June 1, 1994, which does not provide for use of the network for all video, data, and voice requirements of the agency. The commission may enter into an agreement described in this subparagraph upon a determination that the use of the network for all video, data, and voice requirements of the agency would not be in the best interests of the agency.
  b.  A private or public agency, other than an institution under the control of the state board of regents, a private college or university, or a nonpublic school, shall petition the commission for a waiver of the requirement to use the network as provided in paragraph “a”, if the agency determines that paragraph “a”, subparagraph (1) or (2), applies. The director shall establish by rule a review process for determining, upon application of an authorized user, whether paragraph “a”, subparagraph (1) or (2), applies. An authorized user found by the commission to be under contract for such services as provided in paragraph “a”, subparagraph (2), shall not enter into another contract upon the expiration of such contract, but shall utilize the network for such services as provided in this section unless paragraph “a”, subparagraph (1), applies. A waiver approved by the commission may be for a period as requested by the private or public agency of up to three years.
  c.  An institution under the control of the state board of regents, a private college or university, or a nonpublic school which certifies to the commission pursuant to subsection 1 that it is a part of or intends to become a part of the network may use the network for its video, data, or voice requirements as determined by the regents institution, private college or university, or nonpublic school.
  3.  A facility that is considered a public agency pursuant to section 8D.2, subsection 5, paragraph “b”, shall be authorized to access the Iowa communications network strictly for homeland security communication purposes and disaster communication purposes. Any utilization of the network that is not related to communications concerning homeland security or a disaster, as defined in section 29C.2, is expressly prohibited. Access under this subsection shall be available only if a state of disaster emergency is proclaimed by the governor pursuant to section 29C.6 or a homeland security or disaster event occurs requiring connection of disparate communications systems between public agencies to provide for a multiagency or multijurisdictional response. Access shall continue only for the period of time the homeland security or disaster event exists. For purposes of this subsection, disaster communication purposes includes training and exercising for a disaster if public notice of the training and exercising session is posted on the internet site of the department of homeland security and emergency management. A scheduled and noticed training and exercising session shall not exceed five days. Interpretation and application of the provisions of this subsection shall be strictly construed.
  4.  A community college receiving federal funding to conduct first responder training and testing regarding homeland security first responder communication and technology-related research and development projects shall be authorized to utilize the network for testing purposes.
94 Acts, ch 1184, §11; 98 Acts, ch 1047, §5; 2001 Acts, ch 158, §2; 2003 Acts, ch 44, §3; 2004 Acts, ch 1175, §194; 2005 Acts, ch 179, §52; 2011 Acts, ch 93, §1; 2011 Acts, ch 132, §37, 106; 2013 Acts, ch 29, §5; 2013 Acts, ch 90, §257; 2020 Acts, ch 1045, §2, 3; 2024 Acts, ch 1170, §135
Subsection 2, paragraph b amended