House File 632 - Introduced



                                       HOUSE FILE       
                                       BY  HELLAND


    Passed House,  Date               Passed Senate, Date             
    Vote:  Ayes        Nays           Vote:  Ayes        Nays         
                 Approved                            

                                      A BILL FOR

  1 An Act establishing a small business competitiveness advisory
  2    council.
  3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
  4 TLSB 2560YH 83
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PAG LIN



  1  1    Section 1.  NEW SECTION.  15.248  SMALL BUSINESS
  1  2 COMPETITIVENESS ADVISORY COUNCIL.
  1  3    1.  ADVISORY COUNCIL ESTABLISHED.  A small business
  1  4 competitiveness advisory council is established within the
  1  5 department for the purpose of identifying and examining
  1  6 barriers to the creation and expansion of small businesses in
  1  7 the state and making recommendations to the general assembly
  1  8 and the governor for the elimination of those barriers and
  1  9 enhancement of the business climate in the state for such
  1 10 businesses.
  1 11    2.  MEMBERSHIP.
  1 12    a.  The advisory council shall be composed of nine voting
  1 13 members including the following:
  1 14    (1)  The dean of the university of Iowa Tippie college of
  1 15 business or a designee.
  1 16    (2)  Eight owners of small businesses in the state
  1 17 appointed by the governor.
  1 18    b.  Members appointed by the governor are subject to
  1 19 confirmation by the senate and shall serve four=year staggered
  1 20 terms beginning on July 1 of the year of appointment.  No
  1 21 member appointed by the governor shall serve more than two
  1 22 terms, including any portion of a term served pursuant to the
  1 23 filling of a vacancy.  The dean of the university of Iowa
  1 24 Tippie college of business, or the dean's designee, shall
  1 25 serve as the chairperson of the advisory council.  A majority
  1 26 of the voting members of the advisory council constitutes a
  1 27 quorum.  Members appointed by the governor are subject to the
  1 28 requirements of sections 69.16, 69.16A, and 69.19.  Members
  1 29 appointed by the governor shall be reimbursed for actual and
  1 30 necessary expenses incurred in performance of their duties.
  1 31 Such members may also be eligible to receive compensation as
  1 32 provided in section 7E.6.
  1 33    3.  MEETINGS == ANNUAL REPORT.
  1 34    a.  The advisory council shall hold a meeting quarterly
  1 35 each year or more often as determined necessary by the
  2  1 advisory council.  No action taken by the advisory council
  2  2 shall be valid unless agreed to by a majority of the advisory
  2  3 council members.
  2  4    b.  The advisory council shall prepare an annual report of
  2  5 its findings and recommendations which shall be transmitted to
  2  6 the general assembly and to the governor by December 15 of
  2  7 each year.
  2  8    4.  DEFINITIONS.  For the purposes of this section:
  2  9    a.  "Eligible employee" means an employee who works on a
  2 10 full=time basis and has a normal workweek of thirty or more
  2 11 hours.  "Eligible employee" includes a sole proprietor, a
  2 12 partner of a partnership, and an independent contractor, if
  2 13 the sole proprietor, partner, or independent contractor is
  2 14 included as an employee under health insurance coverage of a
  2 15 small business, does not include an employee who works on a
  2 16 part=time, temporary, or substitute basis.
  2 17    b.  "Small business" means a business located in this state
  2 18 which employs two hundred or fewer eligible employees.
  2 19                           EXPLANATION
  2 20    This bill establishes a small business competitiveness
  2 21 advisory council in the department of economic development for
  2 22 the purpose of identifying and examining barriers to the
  2 23 creation and expansion of small businesses in the state and
  2 24 making recommendations to the general assembly and the
  2 25 governor for the elimination of those barriers and enhancement
  2 26 of the business climate in the state for such businesses.
  2 27    The advisory council is composed of nine members including
  2 28 the dean of the university of Iowa Tippie college of business,
  2 29 or a designee, who shall chair the advisory council, and eight
  2 30 owners of small businesses in the state.
  2 31    The advisory council is required to meet at least quarterly
  2 32 or more often as deemed necessary by its members and to
  2 33 prepare an annual report of its findings and recommendations
  2 34 for transmittal to the general assembly and the governor by
  2 35 December 15 of each year.
  3  1    For the purposes of the bill, a "small business" is a
  3  2 business located in the state which employs 200 or fewer
  3  3 eligible employees.  An "eligible employee" is a full=time
  3  4 employee who has a normal workweek of 30 or more hours and
  3  5 does not work on a part=time, temporary, or substitute basis.
  3  6 LSB 2560YH 83
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