Iowa Code § 473.8 — IA Code / Title XI / Chapter 473 / Section 473.8
Emergency powers.
Status: in_force

(1) If the director makes a determination the health, safety, or welfare of the people of this state is threatened by an actual or impending acute shortage of usable energy, the director shall provide the determination to the governor, together with the director’s recommendations, on the declaration of an emergency by the governor and recommended actions, if any, to be undertaken. Within thirty days of the date of the determination by the director, the governor may issue a proclamation of emergency, which shall be filed with the secretary of state. The proclamation shall state the facts relied upon and the reasons for the proclamation.

(2) (a) Pursuant to the proclamation of an emergency or in response to a declaration of an energy emergency by the president of the United States under the federal Emergency Energy Conservation Act of 1979, Pub. L. No. 96-102, the governor by executive order may:

(2) (a) Regulate the operating hours of energy consuming instrumentalities of state government, political subdivisions, private institutions, and business facilities to the extent the regulation is not hazardous or detrimental to the health, safety, or welfare of the people of this state. However, the governor shall have no authority to suspend, amend, or nullify any service being provided by a public utility pursuant to an order or rule of a federal agency that has jurisdiction over the public utility.

(2) (a) Establish a system for the distribution and supply of energy. The system shall not include a coupon rationing program, unless the program is federally mandated.

(2) (a) Curtail public and private transportation utilizing energy sources. Curtailment may include measures designed to promote the use of car pools and mass transit systems.

(2) (a) Delegate any administrative authority vested in the governor to the authority or the director.

(2) (a) Provide for the temporary transfer of directors, personnel, or functions of state departments and agencies, for the purpose of performing or facilitating emergency measures pursuant to subparagraphs (1) and (2).

(2) (a) Accept the delegation of the authority for other mandatory measures as allowed under the federal Emergency Energy Conservation Act of 1979, Pub. L. No. 96-102, as amended.

(2) (b) If the general assembly is in session, it may revoke by concurrent resolution any proclamation of emergency issued by the governor. If the general assembly is not in session, the proclamation of emergency by the governor may be revoked by a majority vote of the standing membership of the legislative council. Such revocation shall be effective upon receipt of notice of the revocation by the secretary of state and any functions being performed pursuant to the governor’s proclamation shall cease immediately.

(3) A violation of an executive order of the governor issued pursuant to this section is a scheduled violation as provided in section 805.8C, subsection 1. If the violation is continuous and stationary in its nature and subsequent compliance can easily be ascertained, an officer may issue a memorandum of warning in lieu of a citation providing a reasonable amount of time not exceeding fourteen days to correct the violation and to comply with the requirements of the executive order.

[C75, 77, 79, 81, §93.8]86 Acts, ch 1245, §1822C93, §473.82001 Acts, ch 137, §5; 2009 Acts, ch 108, §28, 29, 41; 2011 Acts, ch 118, §50, 89; 2024 Acts, ch 1167, §21, 22