Senate Study Bill 1042 - Introduced SENATE FILE _____ BY (PROPOSED COMMITTEE ON LOCAL GOVERNMENT BILL BY CHAIRPERSON WEBSTER) A BILL FOR An Act prohibiting political subdivisions from using certain 1 moneys to hire lobbyists, and providing penalties. 2 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 3 TLSB 2247XC (2) 91 th/jh
S.F. _____ Section 1. NEW SECTION . 68B.9 Lobbyist employment —— 1 political subdivision restrictions. 2 A political subdivision shall not use moneys received from 3 the imposition of a tax to employ or compensate a lobbyist. 4 Sec. 2. Section 68B.34, Code 2025, is amended to read as 5 follows: 6 68B.34 Additional penalty. 7 In addition to any penalty contained in any other provision 8 of law, a person who knowingly and intentionally violates a 9 provision of sections 68B.2A through 68B.8 68B.9 , sections 10 68B.22 through 68B.24 , or sections 68B.35 through 68B.38 11 is guilty of a serious misdemeanor and may be reprimanded, 12 suspended, or dismissed from the person’s position or otherwise 13 sanctioned. 14 EXPLANATION 15 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 16 the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly. 17 This bill prohibits a political subdivision from using 18 moneys received from the imposition of a tax to employ or 19 compensate a lobbyist. 20 When used in Code chapter 68B (government ethics and 21 lobbying), “lobbyist” means an individual who, by acting 22 directly, receives compensation to encourage the passage, 23 defeat, approval, veto, or modification of legislation, a 24 rule, or an executive order by the members of the general 25 assembly, a state agency, or any statewide elected official; 26 is a designated representative of an organization which has as 27 one of its purposes the encouragement of the passage, defeat, 28 approval, veto, or modification of legislation, a rule, or an 29 executive order before the general assembly, a state agency, 30 or any statewide elected official; represents the position of 31 a federal, state, or local government agency, in which the 32 person serves or is employed as the designated representative, 33 for purposes of encouraging the passage, defeat, approval, 34 veto, or modification of legislation, a rule, or an executive 35 -1- LSB 2247XC (2) 91 th/jh 1/ 2
S.F. _____ order by members of the general assembly, a state agency, or 1 any statewide elected official; or makes expenditures of more 2 than $1,000 in a year, other than to pay another lobbyist or 3 to communicate with only the members of the general assembly 4 who represent the district in which the individual resides, to 5 communicate in person with members of the general assembly, a 6 state agency, or any statewide elected official for purposes 7 of encouraging the passage, defeat, approval, veto, or 8 modification of legislation, a rule, or an executive order. 9 A person who knowingly and intentionally violates the 10 bill is guilty of a serious misdemeanor and if the person 11 is a lobbyist, the person may be reprimanded, suspended, or 12 dismissed from the person’s position or otherwise sanctioned. 13 A serious misdemeanor is punishable by confinement for no more 14 than one year and a fine of at least $430 but not more than 15 $2,560. 16 -2- LSB 2247XC (2) 91 th/jh 2/ 2