101C.3 - IOWA PROPANE EDUCATION AND RESEARCH COUNCIL ESTABLISHED.

        101C.3  IOWA PROPANE EDUCATION AND RESEARCH COUNCIL
      ESTABLISHED.
         1.  The Iowa propane education and research council is
      established.  The council shall consist of ten voting members, nine
      of whom represent retail propane marketers and one of whom shall be
      the administrator of the division of community action agencies of the
      department of human rights.  Members of the council other than the
      administrator shall be appointed by the fire marshal from a list of
      nominees submitted by qualified propane industry organizations by
      December 15 of each year.  A vacancy in the unfinished term of a
      council member shall be filled for the remainder of the term in the
      same manner as the original appointment was made.  Other than the
      administrator, council members shall be full-time employees or owners
      of a propane industry business or representatives of an agricultural
      cooperative actively engaged in the propane industry.  An employee of
      a qualified propane industry organization shall not serve as a member
      of the council.  An officer of the board of directors of a qualified
      propane industry organization or propane industry trade association
      shall not serve concurrently as a member of the council.  The fire
      marshal or a designee may serve as an ex officio, nonvoting member of
      the council.
         2.  In nominating members of the council, qualified propane
      industry organizations shall give due consideration to nominating
      council members who are representative of the propane industry,
      including representation of all of the following:
         a.  Interstate and intrastate retail propane marketers.
         b.  Large and small retail propane marketers, including
      agricultural cooperatives.
         c.  Diverse geographic regions of the state.
         3.  The following persons shall be ex officio, nonvoting members
      of the council designated for three-year terms as follows:
         a.  A professional fire fighter designated by the Iowa
      association of professional fire chiefs.
         b.  A volunteer fire fighter designated by the Iowa firemen's
      association.
         c.  An experienced plumber involved in plumbing training
      programs designated by the Iowa state building and construction
      trades council.
         d.  A heating, ventilation, and air conditioning professional
      involved in heating, ventilation, and air conditioning training
      programs designated by the Iowa state building and construction
      trades council.
         e.  A community college instructor with experience in
      conducting fire safety programs designated by the Iowa association of
      community college presidents.
         f.  A representative of a property and casualty insurance
      company with experience in insuring sellers of propane gas designated
      by the Iowa insurance institute.
         4.  A council member shall not receive compensation for the
      council member's service and shall not be reimbursed for expenses
      relating to the council member's service.  A member of the council
      shall not be a salaried employee of the council or of any
      organization or agency which receives funds from the council.
         5.  A council member shall serve a term of three years and shall
      not serve more than two full consecutive terms.  A council member
      filling an unexpired term may serve not more than a total of seven
      consecutive years.  A former council member may be appointed to the
      council if the former member has not been a member of the council for
      a period of at least two years.
         6.  Initial appointments to the council shall be for terms of one,
      two, and three years that are staggered to provide for the future
      appointment of at least two members each year.
         7.  The voting members of the council shall select a chairperson
      and other officers as necessary from the voting members and shall
      adopt rules and bylaws for the conduct of business and the
      implementation of this chapter.  The council may establish committees
      and subcommittees comprised of members of the council and may
      establish advisory committees comprised of persons other than council
      members.  The council shall establish procedures for the solicitation
      of propane industry comments and recommendations regarding any
      significant plans, programs, or projects to be funded by the council.

         8. a.  The council shall develop programs and projects and
      enter into agreements for administering such programs and projects as
      provided in this chapter, including programs to enhance consumer and
      employee safety and training, provide for research and development of
      clean and efficient propane utilization equipment, inform and educate
      the public about safety and other issues associated with the use of
      propane, and develop programs and projects that provide assistance to
      persons who are eligible for the low-income home energy assistance
      program.  The programs and projects shall be developed to attain
      equitable geographic distribution of their benefits to the fullest
      extent practicable.  The costs of the programs and projects shall be
      paid with funds collected pursuant to section 101C.4.  The council
      shall coordinate its programs and projects with propane industry
      trade associations and others as the council deems appropriate to
      provide efficient delivery of services and to avoid unnecessary
      duplication of activities.  Issues concerning propane that are
      related to research and development, safety, education, and training
      shall be given priority by the council in the development of programs
      and projects.
         b.  The council may develop energy efficiency programs
      dedicated to weatherization, acquisition and installation of
      energy-efficient customer appliances that qualify for energy star
      certification, installation of low-flow faucets and showerheads, and
      energy efficiency education.  The council may by rule establish
      quality standards in relation to weatherization and appliance
      installation.
         9.  At the beginning of each fiscal year, the council shall
      prepare a budget plan for the next fiscal year, including the
      probable cost of all programs, projects, and contracts to be
      undertaken.  The council shall submit the proposed budget to the fire
      marshal for review and comment.  The fire marshal may recommend
      appropriate programs, projects, and activities to be undertaken by
      the council.
         10.  The council shall keep minutes, books, and records that
      clearly reflect all of the acts and transactions of the council which
      are public records open to public inspection.  The books and records
      shall indicate the geographic areas where benefits were conferred by
      each individual program or project in detail sufficient to reflect
      the degree to which each program or project attained equitable
      geographic distribution of its benefits.  The books of the council
      shall be audited by a certified public accountant at least once each
      fiscal year and at such other times as the council may designate.
      The cost of the audit shall be paid by the council.  Copies of the
      audit shall be provided to all council members, all qualified propane
      industry organizations, and to other members of the propane industry
      upon request.  In addition, a copy of the audit and a report
      detailing the programs and projects conducted by the council and
      containing information reflecting the degree to which equitable
      geographic distribution of the benefits of each program or project
      was attained shall be submitted each fiscal year to the chief clerk
      of the house of representatives and the secretary of the senate.
         11.  The council is subject to the open meetings requirements of
      chapter 21.
         12.  The council shall promulgate administrative rules pursuant to
      chapter 17A which shall have the same force and effect as if adopted
      by a state agency.  Initial rules shall be promulgated on an
      emergency basis.
         13.  The council shall also perform the functions required of a
      state organization under the federal Propane Education and Research
      Act of 1996, be the repository of funds received under that Act, and
      separately account for those funds.  The council shall coordinate the
      operation of the program with the federal council as contemplated by
      15 U.S.C. § 6405.  
         Section History: Recent Form
         2007 Acts, ch 182, §3, 15; 2008 Acts, ch 1032, §93, 202; 2009
      Acts, ch 141, §3
         Referred to in § 101C.2, 101C.11