Senate File 2039 SENATE FILE BY DEARDEN and FRAISE Passed Senate, Date Passed House, Date Vote: Ayes Nays Vote: Ayes Nays Approved A BILL FOR 1 An Act relating to the composition of the Iowa state fair board 2 by providing that the composition of district directors be 3 bipartisan and gender balanced. 4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 5 TLSB 5727XS 80 6 da/gg/14 PAG LIN 1 1 Section 1. Section 173.5, subsection 2, Code 2003, is 1 2 amended to read as follows: 1 3 2. Each year, the convention shall elect a successor to 1 4 one of the two district directors whose term expires following 1 5 the adjournment of the convention, as provided in section 1 6 173.4. In electing a successor, the convention shall adopt 1 7 and comply with rules necessary to ensure that the composition 1 8 of all district directors is bipartisan and gender balanced as 1 9 if the district directors were appointed pursuant to sections 1 10 69.16 and 69.16A. 1 11 Sec. 2. ELECTION OF DISTRICT DIRECTORS. This Act does not 1 12 require that a person who has been elected as a district 1 13 director vacate that position before the expiration of the 1 14 director's term. However, the convention shall adopt rules in 1 15 order to provide for the implementation of the amendment to 1 16 section 173.5 as provided in this Act with all deliberate 1 17 speed. 1 18 EXPLANATION 1 19 This bill amends a provision in Code chapter 173, which 1 20 provides for the Iowa state fair, including its administration 1 21 by the Iowa state fair board. The board is vested with 1 22 authority over the Iowa state fair and other events held on 1 23 the Iowa state fairgrounds, and it is also responsible for the 1 24 fairgrounds. 1 25 The board is composed of the governor, the secretary of 1 26 agriculture, and the president of Iowa state university (or 1 27 their designees), and 12 directors representing six state 1 28 districts. The district directors are elected at an annual 1 29 convention and serve staggered terms. 1 30 The bill amends Code section 173.5, which provides for the 1 31 election of successors to serve as district directors. The 1 32 bill provides that in electing a successor, the convention 1 33 must ensure that the composition of the 12 elected district 1 34 directors is gender and politically balanced in the same 1 35 manner as is the composition of boards whose members are 2 1 appointed pursuant to Code sections 69.16 and 69.16A. 2 2 The bill provides that it does not require that a person 2 3 elected as a district director vacate their position. It does 2 4 require that the convention adopt rules necessary to implement 2 5 the bill's provisions. 2 6 LSB 5727XS 80 2 7 da/gg/14