A bill to apply the Iowa Open Records laws to regent university fund raising records is before the state House of Representatives.

Rep. David Johnson, R-Ocheyedan, proposed the bill Monday, and the legislation already has been opposed by foundation executives at Iowa State and the University of Iowa.

The bill is different from similar legislation – that died in subcommittee – proposed last year after the sale of the Marie Powers farm, he said.

“It’s a broader approach to the question of whether or not the Iowa public universities are subject to the open records law,” Johnson said. “This bill would say that the foundations are subject to that law. “We are not suggesting that any of the foundations are conducting illegal or unethical business but rather answering the question about the accountability of the foundations.”

The bill would require the fund raising foundations at Iowa State, the University of Iowa and the University of Northern Iowa to provide information to the public about their budgets, revenue and expenditures. The bill would allow for donor confidentiality if individual donors wish to remain confidential.

“A big challenge is balancing the media’s interest with that of the individual donors and the foundations’ organizational rights,” said Michael New, president of the University of Iowa Foundation. “It is understandable that the media wants to provide the public with the information they are entitled, but certain donors want to keep their information private.”

The ISU Foundation received a copy of the proposed legislation late Monday and is reviewing the information, said Phyllis Lepke, ISU Foundation senior vice president and chief operating officer.

“During the past 12 months, state budget cuts have continued,” Lepke said. “We agree with those legislators who expressed concern last year that the Legislature not take actions that threaten or discourage private giving at the very time it is most needed.”

The University of Iowa Foundation also received a copy of the bill Monday, New said, but he does not feel new legislation is necessary.

“We are currently looking at the bill, and as of now, we feel the current legislation is very adequate,” he said.

“We already make a lot of information available to the public – some of it we are required to provide by law but much of it we do voluntarily.”

The ISU Foundation also makes much of its financial information available to the public, Lepke said.

“The ISU Foundation has consistently supported openness and accountability and provided operational and financial documents to the public,” Lepke said.

The ISU Foundation recently added a link on its Web site, www.foundation.iastate.edu, for the public to view the Foundation’s financial information, said Barb Boose, communications director for the ISU Foundation.

“We hope that putting this information on our Web site increases accessibility to the information already made public by the Foundation,” she said.