On Thursday, Iowans had the opportunity to provide input on the recommendations the Boards and Commissions Review Committee (BCRC) released last week. Out of 256 current boards and commissions, the BCRC recommends that 52 are consolidated, 47 are reorganized, 69 are eliminated, and 88 continue with no changes.
The BCRC is composed of 10 members:
- Kraig Paulsen – Director of the Department of Management
- Jacob Nicholson – Chief Operating Officer of the Iowa Governor’s Office
- Nate Ristow – Administrative Rules Coordinator
- Larry Johnson – Director of the Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing
- David Faith – Deputy Attorney General at the Office of the Attorney General of Iowa
- Barbara Sloniker – Public member appointed by the Governor
- Ex officio, non-voting members:
- Representative Jane Bloomingdale
- Representative Adam Zabner
Public Comment
Speakers represented a wide range of professions at the two-and-a-half-hour meeting, from elevator inspection to midwifery to dentistry. Some comments focused on the proposals to reduce licensing boards for specific professions, while others spoke about consolidations that could diminish the voices of diverse groups.
The BCRC specified that its role is to make recommendations to the Governor and the Iowa legislature. Condensing the number and responsibilities of the boards and commissions in Iowa is part of an effort to drastically reimagine state government, led by Governor Reynolds and the government reorganization law passed this year. See the graphic included below.
BCRC Recommended Changes
The BCRC subcommittees also recommended changes that would remove some of the powers of certain boards and commissions including:
- Removing the Alcoholic Beverages Commission’s rulemaking approval and its authority to reverse the actions of the State Director of Revenue.
- Shifting rulemaking authority from the Iowa Telecommunications and Technology Commission to the Iowa Communications Network (ICN), and having the ICN director be appointed by, and serve at the pleasure of, the Governor.
- Removing policymaking and rulemaking authority from the State Soil Conservation and Water Quality Committee.
- Removing the gender-balanced board requirement.
Members of the public can still submit comments to the BCRC committee through Sunday, September 17 by emailing BCRCcomments@iowa.gov. The subcommittees will review comments through September 20, and the full committee will meet for a final time on September 25 to vote on the final report.
Next Steps
The next step in this process will be for the committee to submit its report with final recommendations to the Governor’s office and the General Assembly no later than September 30, 2023. In order for these recommendations to take effect they will have to be included in legislation that must pass both chambers and be signed into law by the Governor.
The Dentons Davis Brown team will be in contact with the BCRC committee and will stay engaged on behalf of our clients as these recommendations make their way through the process.
Five Key Findings
Eight Recommendations