Relating to governmental ethics and campaign finance, including the placement of campaign signs, the sale or lease of real estate by regulatory agency officials and employees to persons subject to the agency’s regulatory authority, and the compensation of the executive director of the ethics and campaign disclosure board, and making penalties applicable

A person who violates this provision of the bill is subject to civil penalties imposed by the Iowa ethics and campaign disclosure board, including remedial action, a reprimand, and a civil penalty up to $2,000. In addition, a person who willfully violates a provision of Code chapter 68A is guilty of a serious misdemeanor. A serious misdemeanor is punishable by confinement for no more than one year and a fine of at least $315 but not more than $1,875. SALES AND LEASES BY PUBLIC EMPLOYEES. Under current law, officials and employees of state regulatory agencies are prohibited from selling or leasing goods or services to individuals, associations, or corporations subject to the agency authority of which the person is an official or employee. However, this prohibition does not apply if consent for such sale or lease is obtained from the agency consistent with rules adopted by the Iowa ethics and campaign disclosure board; if the official’s or employee’s agency duties are not related to the regulatory authority of the agency over the individual, association, or corporation; if the selling or leasing of the goods or services does not include advocacy on behalf of the individual, association, or corporation to the agency; and if the selling or leasing of the goods or services does not cause the official or employee to sell or lease goods or services to the agency on behalf of the individual, association, or corporation. The bill extends this prohibition and the exception to the sale or lease of real estate. A person who knowingly and intentionally violates this provision of the bill is guilty of a serious misdemeanor and may be reprimanded, suspended, or dismissed from the person’s position or otherwise sanctioned. A serious misdemeanor is punishable by confinement for no more than one year and a fine of at least $315 but not more than $1,875. ETHICS AND CAMPAIGN DISCLOSURE BOARD EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR COMPENSATION. Under current law, the ethics and campaign disclosure board is required to establish the salary of the board’s executive director within a range designated by the general assembly. The bill allows the board to award the board’s executive director additional compensation which shall not annually exceed percent of the maximum annual salary for the range established by the general assembly for the board’s executive director position, if the board’s executive director also serves as the board’s legal counsel. Currently, the general assembly designates the board’s executive director position at salary range 4, with a minimum annual salary of $63,690, and a maximum annual salary of $97,460.