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MINUTES

ADMINISTRATION COMMITTEE OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

November 29, 1995 Second Meeting of 1995-1996

MEMBERS PRESENT

MEETING IN BRIEF

Organizational staffing provided by Kathy Hanlon, Research Analyst
Minutes prepared by Mark Johnson, Senior Legal Counsel

  1. Procedural Business.
  2. Report on Administrative Code Project.
  3. Report of Bill Drafting System Progress.
  4. Report on Redistricting Agreement.
  5. Report on CD-ROM Production.
  6. Progress on Capitol Brochure.
  7. Report on Court Rules Project.
  8. Report on Friends of the Capitol Projects.
  9. Publication of Legal Documents Proposal.
  10. Copyright Law.
  11. Continuous Quality Improvement.
  12. Recommendations to the Legislative Council.
  13. Written Materials Filed with the Legislative Service Bureau.

COMMITTEE BUSINESS

1. Procedural Business.
Committee Chairperson Representative Harold Van Maanen called the November 29, 1995, meeting of the Administration Committee to order at 1:15 p.m. in Room 22 of the State Capitol in Des Moines, Iowa. Members present, in addition to Chairperson Van Maanen, were: Senator Eugene Fraise, Representative Libby Jacobs, and Representative Pam Jochum. Also attending were Ms. Diane E. Bolender, Director, Legislative Service Bureau, Mr. Mark W. Johnson, Legal Counsel, and other staff of the Legislative Service Bureau, Legislative Information Office, Legislative Fiscal Bureau, House and Senate administrative offices, Computer Support Bureau, and House and Senate caucus and research staffs, and other interested persons.
A motion to approve the June 14 meeting minutes was made by Senator Eugene Fraise and seconded by Representative Libby Jacobs. The Committee unanimously approved the motion.
The Administration Committee adjourned at 1:58 p.m.
2. Report on Administrative Code Project.
Ms. Diane Bolender, Director of the Legislative Service Bureau (LSB), briefed the members on the progress of the Administrative Code computerization project. She noted that the LSB issued a request for proposals (RFP) to purchase technology and consulting services for the electronic publication of the Iowa Administrative Code (IAC). The benefits the LSB expects to achieve through the RFP, she said, include development of a basis for print and electronic distribution of the IAC, creation of a searchable electronic database of the IAC, elimination of typesetting needs through the production of camera ready pages, electronic archiving, and automated editing, proofreading, and layout. She noted that the LSB would like to proceed with the project, and is in the process of selecting a vendor and negotiating prices for the technology and consulting services. The LSB will include $200,000 in its FY 97 budget to cover initial costs, but after completion of the project, the LSB expects IAC savings to cover much of the costs.
3. Report of Bill Drafting System Progress.
Ms. Bolender updated members on the progress made in developing and implementing a replacement for the current legislative bill drafting system. The essential functions of the replacement system will be to maintain the use of the software currently in place and the use of the automatic amending function. The automatic amending function, she noted, is vital to maintain the speed currently enjoyed when collating and incorporating amendments into bills. To maintain the current system and enable its use on the legislature's PC network, LSB and Unisys have completed the first two phases of the Project. Phase 1 was the requirements definition study and Phase 2 was completion of the detail design report. The LSB is proceeding with the third and final phase, which implements the detail design report. The LSB expects the system to be in place for the 1997 Session. Ms. Bolender noted that the LSB, the Secretary of the Senate, and the Chief Clerk of the House are requesting that the Legislative Council approve the supplementation of the LSB's budget for FY 96 with $340,000, from funds appropriated pursuant to section 2.12 of the Iowa Code, for initial funding for Phase 3 and $200,000 in LSB's budget for FY 97 for completion of Phase 3. The Service Committee, she noted, has recommended funding the request.
4. Report on Redistricting Agreement.
Ms. Bolender updated members on the Redistricting Project. The LSB has signed an agreement with Election Data Services, Inc. (EDS), for digitizing the election precincts and for software products and service. She noted that the LSB is requesting funding in next year's budget to pay for the balance of the amount due under the agreement.
5. Report on CD-ROM Production.
Ms. Bolender provided members with a history of the CD-ROM publication of the Iowa Code and the Iowa Administrative Code. The first CD-ROM was published in the fall of 1994, and in May 1995, a second CD-ROM was released in order to update and provide additional Administrative Code titles. Early January 1996 will see the release of the 1996 Iowa CD-ROM, which will include the Code of Iowa, the 1995 Session Laws, the Iowa Court Rules, and selected titles of the IAC. Again, a second, updated CD-ROM will be released in the spring.
6. Progress on Capitol Brochure.
Ms. Bolender noted that the Legislative Information Office (LIO) has been working with the Capitol tour guides and has determined that the best plan of action is to work on a single-sheet, four-color and black and white brochure for a January release, and to use the 1996 Session to work on the 24-page, four-color informational pamphlet expected to be completed in the spring of 1996. She showed members a mock-up of the brochure. Tourists will be able to obtain the brochure for free, but a nominal fee will be charged for the pamphlet. Initial funding was provided by the Legislative Council.
7. Report on the Court Rules Project.
Ms. Bolender provided members with a history of the Court Rules Project and the reasons behind the need to format the Court Rules uniformly. The LSB has worked with the Rules Committee of the Supreme Court, and met with several members of the Iowa Bar Association, who favorably commented on the reformatting suggestions. The Rules Committee will take the reformatting suggestions to the full Supreme Court, which will determine whether to proceed. The Administrative Code Editor is delaying republication of the Court Rules until the Court's decision. All of the rules may have to be republished, but all would have their own distinctive numbers, and users will be able to automatically move (hot link) to another rule internally referenced.
8. Report on Friends of the Capitol Projects.
Ms. Bolender noted that LIO and the Capitol tour guides have been holding discussions with Friends of the Capitol (Friends), a private nonprofit corporation created by statute, to determine whether they can work together on certain joint projects. The LSB examined the concept to make sure there is no conflict of interest if the legislative employees of LSB work with Friends. The Bureau has determined that if the proposed projects are within the Bureau's mission, the two can work jointly. Ms. Bolender said she would like the Council's general approval to enter into business relationships with Friends, and permission for the Bureau director to determine the specific terms of any relationship with Friends.
9. Publication of Legal Documents Proposal.
Ms. Bolender provided members with a proposal in bill draft form which would make a number of changes in the Code relating to the publication, pricing, and distribution of General Assembly documents. The proposal adds language that would enable the LSB to work with the Administrative Rules Review Committee and the Iowa Code Editor to develop a recommendation regarding redistribution of documents.
10. Copyright Law.
Ms. Bolender also briefed members on a Bureau memo summarizing federal copyright law as it applies to statutes and rules. The Bureau determined, after studying case law and the laws in other states, that legislative language enacted by a legislative body cannot be copyrighted. However, the federal Copyright Act does allow for the express protection of computer programming software of such documents.
11. Continuous Quality Improvement.
Ms. Linda Leto, State Quality Coordinator, presented Committee members with a history of Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) in Iowa. To date, she noted, the Council of State Governments finds that 45 states have CQI. The CQI process began in Iowa in 1992. The Iowa team reviewed projects in other states and models used by various businesses. Six underlying principles were identified, the most prominent of which involves helping the customer, Iowa's citizens, be successful. The remaining five principles include: Variation -- improving the process by which customer's needs are satisfied; Systems -- departments working to assist each other to satisfy customer needs though purposeful activities; Knowledge -- basing decisions on facts and data; Planned change -- being proactive; and, People -- valuing, training, and providing resources to the people who know the customer best. Ms. Leto described specific improvements the state has already realized. She noted that examples of success are identified in her handout, which is available in the Legislative Service Bureau. She noted that a legislative action team has been assembled to ensure that all state agencies are part of the same system.
12. Recommendations to the Legislative Council.
Representative Jacobs moved that the Committee recommend that the Legislative Council authorize the director of the Legislative Service Bureau to enter into business relationships with Friends of the Capitol. Representative Jochum seconded the motion, which the members unanimously approved.
Representative Jochum moved, and Representative Jacobs seconded, that the Legislative Council authorize the LSB to prepare a proposed bill draft relating to General Assembly legal publications and related products for submission to the appropriate standing committees. The members unanimously approved the motion.
Representative Jochum moved, and Representative Jacobs seconded, that the Legislative Council authorize the LSB to seek copyright protection for data processing software if authorized by statute. The members unanimously approved the motion.
13. Written Materials Filed with the Legislative Service Bureau.
a. Summary of Legislative Service Bureau Administrative Code Electronic Database Project.
b. Summary Relating to Replacement of Legislative Bill Drafting System for the Legislative Service Bureau, Senate, and House of Representatives.
c. Summary Relating to the Redistricting Project.
d. Summary Relating to the CD-ROM Publication.
e. Status Report on the Capitol Brochure.
f. Memorandum on Reformatting the Iowa Court Rules Project Update, November 27, 1995. Submitted by Mr. Ed Cook, Legal Counsel, Legislative Service Bureau.
g. Friends of the Capitol Memorandum, November 27, 1995. Submitted by Mr. Mike Kuehn, Legal Counsel, Legislative Service Bureau.
h. Summary of Copyright Law Applied to Statutes and Rules, November 27, 1995. Submitted by Mr. Doug Adkisson, Legal Counsel, Legislative Service Bureau.
i. Bill Draft Relating to Legal Publications and Related Products Prepared and Distributed under the Authority of the General Assembly.
j. Summary of Continuous Quality Iowa, November 1995. Submitted by Ms. Linda Leto, State Quality Coordinator, Department of Management.

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