A bill for an act relating to monetary donations that may be received and gifted by local officials and local employees to offset medical or health care expenses, and making penalties applicable.(Formerly SF 261 ; See SF 2145 .)

Senate

File

580

-

Introduced

SENATE

FILE

580

BY

COMMITTEE

ON

LOCAL

GOVERNMENT

(SUCCESSOR

TO

SF

261)

A

BILL

FOR

An

Act

relating

to

monetary

donations

that

may

be

received

and

1

gifted

by

local

officials

and

local

employees

to

offset

2

medical

or

health

care

expenses,

and

making

penalties

3

applicable.

4

BE

IT

ENACTED

BY

THE

GENERAL

ASSEMBLY

OF

THE

STATE

OF

IOWA:

5

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580

Section

1.

Section

68B.22,

subsection

4,

Code

2025,

is

1

amended

by

adding

the

following

new

paragraph:

2

NEW

PARAGRAPH

.

t.

Moneys

received

by

a

local

official

3

or

local

employee

in

the

form

of

donations

from

other

local

4

officials

or

local

employees

to

offset

medical

or

health

5

care

expenses

as

a

result

of

a

diagnosed

condition,

if

such

6

donations

are

made

and

received

through

the

use

of

an

online

7

crowdfunding

or

fundraising

platform.

An

authorized

donation

8

from

a

donor

to

a

recipient

under

this

paragraph

shall

not

9

exceed

one

hundred

dollars

per

calendar

year.

10

EXPLANATION

11

The

inclusion

of

this

explanation

does

not

constitute

agreement

with

12

the

explanation’s

substance

by

the

members

of

the

general

assembly.

13

Generally

under

current

law,

a

public

official,

public

14

employee,

or

candidate,

or

that

person’s

immediate

family

15

member

is

prohibited

from

accepting

or

receiving

any

gift

or

16

series

of

gifts

from

a

restricted

donor.

Certain

monetary

17

gifts

are

authorized

under

Code

section

68B.22(4).

This

bill

18

authorizes

local

officials

and

local

employees

to

receive

19

moneys

in

the

form

of

donations

made

by

other

local

officials

20

or

local

employees

to

offset

medical

or

health

care

expenses

21

as

a

result

of

a

diagnosed

condition.

Such

donations

are

22

authorized

if

they

are

made

and

received

through

the

use

of

an

23

online

crowdfunding

or

fundraising

platform.

An

authorized

24

donation

from

a

donor

to

a

recipient

under

the

bill

cannot

25

exceed

$100

per

calendar

year.

26

When

used

in

Code

chapter

68B

(government

ethics

and

27

lobbying),

including

in

the

bill,

“local

employee”

means

a

28

person

employed

by

a

political

subdivision

but

does

not

include

29

an

independent

contractor;

and

“local

official”

means

an

30

officeholder

of

a

political

subdivision.

31

By

operation

of

law,

a

person

who

knowingly

and

32

intentionally

violates

Code

section

68B.22,

as

amended

by

the

33

bill,

commits

a

serious

misdemeanor

and

may

be

reprimanded,

34

suspended,

or

dismissed

from

the

person’s

position

or

otherwise

35

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580

sanctioned.

A

serious

misdemeanor

is

punishable

by

confinement

1

for

no

more

than

one

year

and

a

fine

of

at

least

$430

but

not

2

more

than

$2,560.

3

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