A bill for an act relating to lobbying activities of former or future executive or administrative heads of licensing boards, providing penalties, and making penalties applicable.
Summary
Senate File 4 would expand Iowa’s post-employment lobbying restrictions to cover executive or administrative heads of licensing boards. Under current law, certain former public officials and agency leaders must wait two years before becoming lobbyists; this bill adds licensing board executive or administrative heads to that list. It also creates a reciprocal restriction preventing a person who has been a lobbyist from serving as the executive or administrative head of a licensing board for two years after leaving lobbying.
The bill further makes a knowing and intentional violation of the new prohibition a serious misdemeanor. The explanation states that the measure applies to the specifically identified licensing boards in Iowa Code section 272C.1 and clarifies that it does not bar a board’s executive director from lobbying on behalf of the board in that role. Overall, the bill is aimed at reducing revolving-door conflicts between lobbying and leadership positions on licensing boards.
Impact
SF 4 would amend Iowa Code section 68B.5A and add a new section 272C.7A to impose a two-year cooling-off period in both directions between lobbying and serving as an executive or administrative head of a licensing board. It would extend existing ethics and revolving-door restrictions to a new category of board leadership and create criminal penalties for intentional violations. The measure affects former lobbyists, current and former licensing board executives or administrators, and the licensing boards identified in section 272C.1.
Sentiment
The available record suggests generally favorable or at least noncontroversial treatment of the bill. The only recorded action is that a subcommittee recommended passage, and there are no committee transcripts or recorded votes showing opposition. The bill’s framing as an ethics and conflict-of-interest measure likely supports a positive reception among lawmakers concerned with public trust and regulatory integrity.
Contention
No specific objections are documented in the available materials, but the main policy issue inherent in the bill is the restriction on movement between lobbying and licensing-board leadership roles. Potential concerns could include whether the two-year ban is too broad, whether it limits the pool of qualified board leaders, or whether the criminal penalty is necessary. The bill also draws a distinction by allowing an executive director to lobby for the board in that capacity, which may reflect an effort to avoid overbroad restrictions while still addressing revolving-door concerns.
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