23.6 Board powers and duties.

The board shall have all of the following powers and duties:

1. Employ one employee as executive director who is an attorney admitted to practice law in the courts of this state to execute its authority including prosecuting respondents in proceedings before the board and representing the board in proceedings before a court, as appropriate.

2. Adopt rules pursuant to chapter 17A calculated to implement, enforce, and interpret the requirements of chapters 21 and 22 and to implement any authority delegated to the board by this chapter.

3. Issue, consistent with the requirements of section 17A.9, declaratory orders with the force of law determining the applicability of chapter 21 or 22 to specified fact situations and issue informal advice to any person concerning the applicability of chapters 21 and 22.

4. Receive complaints alleging violations of chapter 21 or 22, seek resolution of such complaints through informal assistance, formally investigate such complaints, decide after such an investigation whether there is probable cause to believe a violation of chapter 21 or 22 has occurred, and if probable cause has been found prosecute the respondent before the board in a contested case proceeding conducted according to the provisions of chapter 17A.

5. Request and receive from a governmental body or a government body assistance and information as necessary in the performance of its duties.

6. Examine, as deemed necessary by the board, a record of a governmental body or a government body that is the subject matter of a complaint, including any record that is confidential by law. Confidential records provided to the board by a governmental body or a government body shall continue to maintain their confidential status. Any member or employee of the board is subject to the same policies and penalties regarding the confidentiality of the document as an employee of the governmental body or the government body.

7. Issue subpoenas enforceable in court for the purpose of investigating complaints and to facilitate the prosecution and conduct of contested cases before the board.

8. After appropriate board proceedings, issue orders with the force of law, determining whether there has been a violation of chapter 21 or 22, requiring compliance with specified provisions of those chapters, imposing civil penalties equivalent to and to the same extent as those provided for in section 21.6 or 22.10, as applicable, on a respondent who has been found in violation of chapter 21 or 22, and imposing any other appropriate remedies calculated to declare, terminate, or remediate any violation of those chapters.

9. Represent itself in judicial proceedings to enforce or defend its orders and rules through attorneys on its own staff, through the office of the attorney general, or through other attorneys retained by the board, at its option.

10. Make training opportunities available to lawful custodians, governmental bodies, government bodies, and other persons subject to the requirements of chapters 21 and 22 and require, in its discretion, appropriate persons who have responsibilities in relation to chapters 21 and 22 to receive periodic training approved by the board.

11. Disseminate information calculated to inform members of the public about the public’s right to access government information in this state including procedures to facilitate this access and including information relating to the obligations of governmental bodies under chapter 21 and lawful custodians under chapter 22 and other laws dealing with this subject.

12. Prepare and transmit to the governor and to the general assembly, at least annually, reports describing complaints received, board proceedings, investigations, hearings conducted, decisions rendered, and other work performed by the board.

13. Make recommendations to the governor and the general assembly proposing legislation relating to public access to government information deemed desirable by the board in light of the policy of this state to provide as much public access as possible to government information as is consistent with the public interest.

2012 Acts, ch 1115, §9, 17; 2013 Acts, ch 135, §59; 2014 Acts, ch 1092, §16