28B.1 Membership of commission.

The Iowa commission on interstate cooperation is hereby established. It shall consist of thirteen members to be appointed as follows:

1. Five members of the senate to be appointed by the majority leader of the senate.

2. Five members of the house of representatives to be appointed by the speaker of the house.

3. Three administrative officers to be appointed by the governor.

Appointments shall be made prior to the fourth Monday in January of the first regular session of the general assembly. Members shall take office on February 1 following their appointment and serve for two-year terms or until their successors are appointed and take office.

The governor, the majority leader of the senate, and the speaker of the house of representatives are ex officio honorary nonvoting members of the commission.

The director of the legislative service bureau shall serve as secretary of the commission.

28B.2 Purpose.

It shall be the function of this commission:

1. To carry forward the participation of this state as a member of the council of state governments.

2. To encourage and assist the legislative, executive, administrative and judicial officials and employees of this state to develop and maintain friendly contact by correspondence, by conference, and otherwise, with officials and employees of the other states, of the federal government, and of local units of government.

3. To encourage cooperation between this state and other units of government in the adoption of compacts and uniform laws and in working relationships with officials of other states.

28B.3 Committees.

The commission shall establish such committees as it deems advisable, in order that they may confer and formulate proposals concerning effective means to secure intergovernmental harmony, and may perform other functions for the commission in obedience to its decision. Subject to the approval of the commission, the member or members of each such committee shall be appointed by the chairperson of the commission. State officials or employees who are not members of the commission on interstate cooperation may be appointed as members of any such committee. The commission may provide such other rules as it considers appropriate concerning the membership and the functioning of any such committee.

28B.4 Report.

The commission shall report to the governor and to the legislature within fifteen days after the convening of each general assembly, and at other times as it deems appropriate. Its members and the members of all committees which it establishes shall be reimbursed for their travel and other necessary expenses in carrying out their obligations under this chapter and legislative members shall be paid a per diem as specified in section 7E.6 for each day in which engaged in the performance of their duties, the per diem and legislators' expenses to be paid from funds appropriated by sections 2.10 and 2.12. Expenses of administrative officers, state officials, or state employees who are members of the Iowa commission on interstate cooperation or a committee appointed by the commission shall be paid from funds appropriated to the agencies or departments which persons represent except as may otherwise be provided by the general assembly. Expenses of citizen members who may be appointed to committees of the commission may be paid from funds as authorized by the general assembly. Expenses of the secretary or employees of the secretary and support services in connection with the administration of the commission shall be paid from funds appropriated to the legislative service bureau unless otherwise provided by the general assembly. Expenses of commission members shall be paid upon approval of the chairperson or the secretary of the commission.