House Study Bill 265 SENATE/HOUSE FILE BY (PROPOSED DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN RIGHTS BILL) Passed Senate, Date Passed House, Date Vote: Ayes Nays Vote: Ayes Nays Approved A BILL FOR 1 An Act establishing an Iowa Abraham Lincoln bicentennial 2 commission and fund and providing for its prospective repeal. 3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 4 TLSB 1002DP 82 5 ec/je/5 PAG LIN 1 1 Section 1. NEW SECTION. 216A.121 IOWA ABRAHAM LINCOLN 1 2 BICENTENNIAL COMMISSION. 1 3 1. ORGANIZATION. An Iowa Abraham Lincoln bicentennial 1 4 commission is established in the department of human rights. 1 5 The commission shall be chartered and shall operate as a 1 6 nonprofit corporation within the state of Iowa, according to 1 7 the provisions of chapter 504. 1 8 2. PURPOSE. The purpose of the commission shall be to 1 9 plan, coordinate, and administer activities and programs 1 10 relating to the commemoration of the bicentennial of the birth 1 11 of Abraham Lincoln in 2009. 1 12 3. MEMBERSHIP. a. The commission shall consist of 1 13 twenty=one members, including seventeen voting members and 1 14 four nonvoting members. 1 15 (1) The voting members shall be as follows: 1 16 (a) The governor or the governor's designee. 1 17 (b) One member, appointed by the governor, who is an Iowa 1 18 designated representative to the federal Abraham Lincoln 1 19 bicentennial commission governors' council. 1 20 (c) One member appointed by the president of Humanities 1 21 Iowa. 1 22 (d) One member appointed by the director of the department 1 23 of economic development. 1 24 (e) One member appointed by the administrator of the state 1 25 historical society of Iowa. 1 26 (f) One member appointed by the executive director of the 1 27 Iowa arts council. 1 28 (g) One member appointed by the executive director of the 1 29 Iowa museum society. 1 30 (h) One member appointed by the president of the league of 1 31 Iowa human rights agencies. 1 32 (i) One member appointed by the president of the Iowa 1 33 league of cities. 1 34 (j) One member appointed by the director of the department 1 35 of education. 2 1 (k) One member appointed by the chairperson of the state 2 2 board of regents. 2 3 (l) One member appointed by the president of the Iowa 2 4 library board. 2 5 (m) One member appointed by the chairperson of the Iowa 2 6 state chapter of the national association for the advancement 2 7 of colored people. 2 8 (n) Four public members, appointed by the governor, with a 2 9 demonstrated interest in history and substantial knowledge and 2 10 appreciation of Abraham Lincoln. 2 11 (2) The nonvoting members shall be two state 2 12 representatives, one appointed by the speaker of the house of 2 13 representatives and one by the minority leader of the house, 2 14 and two state senators, one appointed by the majority leader 2 15 of the senate and one by the minority leader of the senate. 2 16 b. Nine voting members of the board shall constitute a 2 17 quorum. Persons making appointments shall consult with one 2 18 another to ensure that the commission is balanced by gender, 2 19 political affiliation, and geographic location, and to ensure 2 20 selection of members representing diverse interest groups. 2 21 The provisions of chapters 21 and 22 shall apply to meetings 2 22 and records of the commission. 2 23 c. The commission shall elect a chairperson and vice 2 24 chairperson from the members of the commission. Commission 2 25 members shall serve without compensation, but shall be 2 26 reimbursed for actual and necessary expenses. 2 27 4. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY. The department, in cooperation 2 28 with the commission, may adopt rules in accordance with 2 29 chapter 17A in order to accomplish the purpose of the 2 30 commission. 2 31 5. AUTHORITY. The commission may receive and make grants, 2 32 receive and expend appropriations, contract for services, hold 2 33 licenses and copyrights, and otherwise act as is necessary to 2 34 accomplish the purpose of the commission. 2 35 6. FUND ESTABLISHED. The Abraham Lincoln bicentennial 3 1 fund is established as a separate fund in the state treasury 3 2 under the control of the commission. 3 3 7. FUNDS RECEIVED. All funds received by the commission, 3 4 including but not limited to gifts, transfers, endowments, 3 5 moneys from the sale of mementos and products related to the 3 6 purposes of the commission, and appropriations, shall be 3 7 credited to the bicentennial fund and are appropriated to the 3 8 commission to be invested or used to support the activities of 3 9 the commission. Notwithstanding section 8.33, any balance in 3 10 the fund on June 30 of any fiscal year shall not revert to the 3 11 general fund of the state. 3 12 8. EXPIRATION. The commission shall expire no later than 3 13 June 30, 2010. Upon expiration, all fund balances from 3 14 appropriations of state funds shall be returned to the general 3 15 fund of the state, and all other assets shall be transferred 3 16 to the Iowa historical foundation authorized pursuant to 3 17 section 303.9, subsection 3, subject to any conditions or 3 18 restrictions previously placed on the assets. 3 19 9. This section is repealed June 30, 2010. 3 20 EXPLANATION 3 21 This bill establishes an Iowa Abraham Lincoln bicentennial 3 22 commission in the department of human rights. The commission 3 23 shall be chartered and shall operate as a nonprofit 3 24 corporation within the state of Iowa. The purpose of the 3 25 commission is to plan, coordinate, and administer activities 3 26 and programs relating to the commemoration of the bicentennial 3 27 of the birth of Abraham Lincoln in 2009. 3 28 The bill provides that the commission consist of 17 voting 3 29 members and four nonvoting legislative members appointed by 3 30 legislative leaders. The 17 voting members shall consist of 3 31 the governor or governor's designee, four public members 3 32 appointed by the governor, and twelve additional members 3 33 appointed by various state and nonprofit entities. The bill 3 34 grants authority to the commission to receive and expend funds 3 35 and grants authority to the department of human rights, in 4 1 cooperation with the commission, to adopt rules. The bill 4 2 establishes an Abraham Lincoln bicentennial fund under the 4 3 control of the commission. The bill provides that the 4 4 commission expires no later than June 30, 2010, and all fund 4 5 balances from state appropriations shall be returned to the 4 6 general fund of the state and all other assets shall be 4 7 transferred to the Iowa historical foundation. 4 8 The bill also provides for its repeal on June 30, 2010. 4 9 LSB 1002DP 82 4 10 ec:rj/je/5