7.14 - DISABILITY OF GOVERNOR TO ACT.
7.14 DISABILITY OF GOVERNOR TO ACT.
1. Whenever it appears that the governor is unable to discharge
the duties of office for reason of disability pursuant to Article IV,
section 17, Constitution of Iowa, the person next in line of
succession to the office of the governor, or the chief justice, may
call a conference consisting of the person who is chief justice, the
person who is director of mental health, and the person who is the
dean of medicine at the state university of Iowa. Provided, if
either the director or dean is not a physician duly licensed to
practice medicine by this state the director or dean may assign a
member of the director's or dean's staff so licensed to assist and
advise on the conference. The three members of the conference shall
within ten days after the conference is called examine the governor.
Within seven days after the examination, or if upon attempting to
examine the governor the members of the conference are unable to
examine the governor because of circumstances beyond their control,
they shall conduct a secret ballot and by unanimous vote may find
that the governor is temporarily unable to discharge the duties of
the office.
2. The finding of or failure to find a disability shall be
immediately made public, and if the governor is found to be unable to
discharge the duties of the office, the person next in line of
succession to the office of governor shall be immediately notified.
After receiving the notification that person may, under Article IV,
sections 17 and 19, Constitution of the State of Iowa, become
governor until the disability is removed.
3. Whenever a governor who is unable to discharge the duties of
the office believes the disability to be removed, the governor may
call a conference consisting of the three persons referred to as
members of such a conference in subsection 1. The three members of
the conference shall within ten days examine the governor. Within
seven days after the examination they shall conduct a secret ballot
and by unanimous vote may find the disability removed.
4. The finding of or failure to find the disability removed shall
be immediately made public. Section History: Early Form
[C66, 71, 73, 75, 77, 79, 81, § 7.14] Section History: Recent Form
91 Acts, ch 97, §2; 96 Acts, ch 1129, §2