Terms Used In Iowa Code > Chapter 68B - Government Ethics and Lobbying

• Agency: means a department, division, board, commission, bureau, authority, or office of the executive or legislative branch of state government, the office of attorney general, the state board of regents, community colleges, and the office of the governor, including a regulatory agency, or any department, division, board, commission, bureau, or office of a political subdivision of the state, but does not include any agricultural commodity promotional board, which is subject to a producer referendum. See Iowa Code 68B.2
• Allegation: something that someone says happened.
• Appeal: A request made after a trial, asking another court (usually the court of appeals) to decide whether the trial was conducted properly. To make such a request is "to appeal" or "to take an appeal." One who appeals is called the appellant.
• Board: means the Iowa ethics and campaign disclosure board. See Iowa Code 68B.2
• Candidate: means a candidate under chapter 68A but does not include any judge standing for retention in a judicial election. See Iowa Code 68B.2
• clerk: means clerk of the court in which the action or proceeding is brought or is pending; and the words "clerk's office" mean the office of that clerk. See Iowa Code 4.1
• Client: means a private person or a state, federal, or local government entity that pays compensation to or designates an individual to be a lobbyist. See Iowa Code 68B.2
• Compensation: means any money, thing of value, or financial benefit conferred in return for services rendered or to be rendered. See Iowa Code 68B.2
• Complaint: A written statement by the plaintiff stating the wrongs allegedly committed by the defendant.
• Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
• Corporation: A legal entity owned by the holders of shares of stock that have been issued, and that can own, receive, and transfer property, and carry on business in its own name.
• Dependent: A person dependent for support upon another.
• Dismissal: The dropping of a case by the judge without further consideration or hearing. ^Source:
• Donee: The recipient of a gift.
• Donor: The person who makes a gift.
• employee of the judicial branch: include every officer or employee of the judicial branch except a judicial officer. See Iowa Code 4.1
• Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
• following: when used by way of reference to a chapter or other part of a statute mean the next preceding or next following chapter or other part. See Iowa Code 4.1
• Gift: A voluntary transfer or conveyance of property without consideration, or for less than full and adequate consideration based on fair market value.
• Gift: means a rendering of anything of value in return for which legal consideration of equal or greater value is not given and received. See Iowa Code 68B.2
• Honorarium: means anything of value that is accepted or given as consideration for an appearance, speech, or article. See Iowa Code 68B.2
• Immediate family members: means the spouse and dependent children of a public official or public employee. See Iowa Code 68B.2
• Impeachment: (1) The process of calling something into question, as in "impeaching the testimony of a witness." (2) The constitutional process whereby the House of Representatives may "impeach" (accuse of misconduct) high officers of the federal government for trial in the Senate.
• Internet: means the federated international system that is composed of allied electronic communication networks linked by telecommunication channels, that uses standardized protocols, and that facilitates electronic communication services, including but not limited to use of the world wide web; the transmission of electronic mail or messages; the transfer of files and data or other electronic information; and the transmission of voice, image, and video. See Iowa Code 4.1
• Internet site: means a specific location on the internet that is determined by internet protocol numbers, by a domain name, or by both, including but not limited to domain names that use the designations ". See Iowa Code 4.1
• Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
• Lease: A contract transferring the use of property or occupancy of land, space, structures, or equipment in consideration of a payment (e.g., rent). ^{Source: OCC}
• Legislative employee: means a permanent full-time employee of the general assembly but does not include members of the general assembly. See Iowa Code 68B.2
• Legislative session: That part of a chamber's daily session in which it considers legislative business (bills, resolutions, and actions related thereto).
• Lobbyist: means an individual who, by acting directly, does any of the following:
   (1) Receives compensation to encourage the passage, defeat, approval, veto, or modification of legislation, a rule, or an executive order by the members of the general assembly, a state agency, or any statewide elected official. See Iowa Code 68B.2
• Majority leader: see Floor Leaders
• Member of the general assembly: means an individual duly elected to the senate or the house of representatives of the state of Iowa. See Iowa Code 68B.2
• Minority leader: See Floor Leaders
• Official: means all statewide elected officials, the executive or administrative head or heads of an agency of state government, the deputy executive or administrative head or heads of an agency of state government, members of boards or commissions as defined under section 7E. See Iowa Code 68B.2
• Partnership: A voluntary contract between two or more persons to pool some or all of their assets into a business, with the agreement that there will be a proportional sharing of profits and losses.
• Person: means , without limitation, any individual, corporation, business trust, estate, trust, partnership or association, labor union, or any other legal entity. See Iowa Code 68B.2
• Probable cause: A reasonable ground for belief that the offender violated a specific law.
• property: includes personal and real property. See Iowa Code 4.1
• Public employee: means state employees, legislative employees, and local employees. See Iowa Code 68B.2
• Public office: means any state, county, city, or school office or any other office of a political subdivision of the state that is filled by election. See Iowa Code 68B.2
• Public official: means officials, local officials, and members of the general assembly. See Iowa Code 68B.2
• Quorum: The number of legislators that must be present to do business.
• Regulatory agency: means the department of agriculture and land stewardship, department of workforce development, department of insurance and financial services, department of public safety, department of education, state board of regents, department of health and human services, department of revenue, department of inspections, appeals, and licensing, department of administrative services, public employment relations board, state department of transportation, civil rights commission, department of public defense, department of homeland security and emergency management, Iowa ethics and campaign disclosure board, utilities board, and department of natural resources. See Iowa Code 68B.2
• Restricted donor: means a person who is in any of the following categories:
   a. See Iowa Code 68B.2
• Rule: includes "regulation". See Iowa Code 4.1
• Settlement: Parties to a lawsuit resolve their difference without having a trial. Settlements often involve the payment of compensation by one party in satisfaction of the other party's claims.
• Signature: includes an electronic signature as defined in section 554D. See Iowa Code 4.1
• state: when applied to the different parts of the United States, includes the District of Columbia and the territories, and the words "United States" may include the said district and territories. See Iowa Code 4.1
• state agency: means a department, division, board, commission, bureau, authority, or office of the executive or legislative branch of state government, the office of attorney general, the state board of regents, community colleges, and the office of the governor, including a regulatory agency, but does not include any agricultural commodity promotional board, which is subject to a producer referendum. See Iowa Code 68B.2
• State employee: means a person who is not an official and is a paid employee of the state of Iowa and does not include an independent contractor, an employee of the judicial branch who is not an employee of the office of attorney general, an employee of the general assembly, an employee of a political subdivision of the state, or an employee of any agricultural commodity promotional board, if the board is subject to a producer referendum. See Iowa Code 68B.2
• Statewide elected official: means the governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, auditor of state, treasurer of state, secretary of agriculture, and attorney general of the state of Iowa. See Iowa Code 68B.2
• Subpoena: A command to a witness to appear and give testimony.
• Testimony: Evidence presented orally by witnesses during trials or before grand juries.
• Trustee: A person or institution holding and administering property in trust.
• United States: includes all the states. See Iowa Code 4.1
• Veto: The procedure established under the Constitution by which the President/Governor refuses to approve a bill or joint resolution and thus prevents its enactment into law. A regular veto occurs when the President/Governor returns the legislation to the house in which it originated. The President/Governor usually returns a vetoed bill with a message indicating his reasons for rejecting the measure. In Congress, the veto can be overridden only by a two-thirds vote in both the Senate and the House.
• year: means twelve consecutive months. See Iowa Code 4.1