General Information about the General Assembly: 76-1
LEGISLATIVE ETHICS AND LOBBYING
Ethical conduct by members of the General Assembly is important to the
legislative process and to the views of the general public about their
Legislature. Chapter 68B of The Code of Iowa
relates to conflicts of interest and ethical behavior by public officials and
employees of the State of Iowa. This chapter sets forth the procedures for the
investigation of complaints and provides penalties for violations. Provisions
of Chapter 68B pertaining to the legislative branch:
- With certain limited exceptions, gifts may not be offered or received by
members or employees of the General Assembly, or their immediate family
members. Acceptable items include campaign contributions, written
informational material, gifts from family members, inheritances, items given to
the public at large without regard to official status of recipient, expenses
for participating or presenting at a meeting, items given in conjunction with
an event sponsored or directed by a state, national, or regional organization
to which the state or other political subdivision belongs, plaques with
negligible resale value, funeral flowers, wedding gifts, twenty-fifth and
fiftieth wedding anniversary gifts, food and drink received in one calendar day
with a value of $3.00 or less.
- A public official or employee may not seek or accept honoraria, unless it
is actual payment for services rendered through the public official's or the
employee's business or profession.
- Items received by a public official or public employee that are disallowed
by Chapter 68B must be donated to a public body or qualified charitable
organization within 30 days after receipt.
- A state official, certain state employees, and candidates for state office
may not receive a loan from a lobbyist, nor may a lobbyist offer such a loan.
- A public official or public employee may not become employed as a lobbyist
for two years after leaving public service.
- A public official or public employee may not sell goods or services valued
at over $500 without going through proper competitive public bidding procedures.
- Certain state employees are not permitted to sell goods or services to an
organization which employs lobbyists unless they have received prior permission
and the sale has no bearing on the official duties of the person selling those
goods or services.
- A state official or state employee may not receive compensation for
services rendered against the interests of the state government.
- A public official or public employee may not engage in outside employement
activities which conflict with official duties.
Iowa General Assembly
Index
© 1995 Cornell College and League of Women Voters of Iowa
Comments? webmaster@legis.iowa.gov
Last update: 1995
URL: /DOCS/GA/76GA/LSB/LegHandbook/GeneralInfo/Ethics.html
jhf