Iowa Code § 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 a representative of the department of health and human services responsible for community action agencies. Members of the council representing retail propane marketers 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. Council members representing retail propane marketers 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 professional fire fighters association. b. A volunteer fire fighter designated by the Iowa firefighters 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. 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. 2007 Acts, ch 182, §3, 15; 2008 Acts, ch 1032, §93, 202; 2009 Acts, ch 141, §3; 2011 Acts, ch 25, §15; 2013 Acts, ch 101, §1, 2; 2023 Acts, ch 19, §69 Referred to in §101C.2, 101C.11