House File 790 - Introduced HOUSE FILE 790 BY COMMITTEE ON JUDICIARY (SUCCESSOR TO HF 241) (COMPANION TO SF 224 BY SALMON) A BILL FOR An Act relating to utilities commission member attendance at 1 hearings and informational meetings. 2 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 3 TLSB 2344HV (1) 91 sb/js
H.F. 790 Section 1. Section 476.33, Code 2025, is amended by adding 1 the following new subsection: 2 NEW SUBSECTION . 5. For hearings initiated under this 3 chapter, all members of the commission shall be present during 4 any live testimony. If at any point during live testimony at 5 a hearing not all members are available for any reason, the 6 meeting shall pause until all members of the commission return. 7 Sec. 2. Section 478.2, subsection 2, paragraph a, Code 2025, 8 is amended to read as follows: 9 a. A member of the commission, the counsel of the 10 commission, or a presiding officer designated by the commission 11 shall serve as the presiding officer at each meeting, shall 12 present an agenda for such meeting , which shall include 13 a summary of the legal rights of the affected landowners, 14 and shall distribute and review the statement of individual 15 rights required under section 6B.2A, subsection 1 . At least 16 one member of the commission shall attend each informational 17 meeting. If at any point during the meeting no member of the 18 commission is available for any reason, the meeting shall pause 19 until at least one member of the commission returns. A formal 20 record of the meeting shall not be required. 21 Sec. 3. NEW SECTION . 478.34 Hearing commission member 22 attendance. 23 All hearings initiated under this chapter shall follow the 24 attendance rules governing commission members as provided in 25 section 476.33, subsection 5. 26 Sec. 4. Section 479.5, subsection 3, paragraph a, Code 2025, 27 is amended to read as follows: 28 a. A pipeline company shall hold informational meetings 29 in each county in which real property or property rights will 30 be affected at least thirty days prior to filing the petition 31 for a new pipeline. A member of the commission or a person 32 designated by the commission shall serve as the presiding 33 officer at each meeting, shall present an agenda for the 34 meeting , which shall include a summary of the legal rights 35 -1- LSB 2344HV (1) 91 sb/js 1/ 3
H.F. 790 of the affected landowners, and shall distribute and review 1 the statement of individual rights required under section 2 6B.2A . At least one member of the commission shall attend each 3 informational meeting. If at any point during the meeting 4 no member of the commission is available for any reason, the 5 meeting shall pause until at least one member of the commission 6 returns. A formal record of the meeting shall not be required. 7 Sec. 5. NEW SECTION . 479.50 Hearing commission member 8 attendance. 9 All hearings initiated under this chapter shall follow the 10 attendance rules governing commission members as provided in 11 section 476.33, subsection 5. 12 Sec. 6. Section 479B.4, subsection 3, Code 2025, is amended 13 to read as follows: 14 3. The pipeline company shall hold informational meetings 15 in each county in which real property or property rights will 16 be affected at least thirty days prior to filing the petition 17 for a new pipeline. A member of the commission, or a person 18 designated by the commission, shall serve as the presiding 19 officer at each meeting and present an agenda for the meeting , 20 which shall include a summary of the legal rights of the 21 affected landowners. At least one member of the commission 22 shall attend each informational meeting. If at any point 23 during the meeting no member of the commission is available for 24 any reason, the meeting shall pause until at least one member 25 of the commission returns. No formal record of the meeting 26 shall be required. The meeting shall be held at a location 27 reasonably accessible to all persons who may be affected by 28 granting the permit. 29 Sec. 7. NEW SECTION . 479B.34 Hearing commission member 30 attendance. 31 All hearings initiated under this chapter shall follow the 32 attendance rules governing commission members as provided in 33 section 476.33, subsection 5. 34 EXPLANATION 35 -2- LSB 2344HV (1) 91 sb/js 2/ 3
H.F. 790 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 1 the explanations substance by the members of the general assembly. 2 This bill relates to utilities commission member attendance 3 at hearings and informational meetings. 4 The bill requires all members of the commission to be present 5 for hearings related to public utility regulation or electric 6 transmission lines, pipelines, or hazardous liquid pipelines 7 regulated by the commission. The bill requires the hearings 8 to pause if at any point during the meeting a member of the 9 commission is not available for any reason and the hearing 10 shall not resume until all members return. 11 The bill requires at least one member of the commission to 12 be present for an informational meeting regarding the issuance 13 of an electric transmission line franchise, a pipeline permit, 14 or a hazardous liquid pipeline permit. The bill requires the 15 informational meeting to pause if at any point during the 16 meeting no member of the commission is available for any reason 17 and the meeting shall not resume until at least one member 18 returns. 19 -3- LSB 2344HV (1) 91 sb/js 3/ 3