As used in this chapter:
"Administrative action " means any action,
decision, omission, policy, practice, procedure, or rule of an agency or any
failure of an agency to act pursuant to law.
"Agency" means all governmental entities,
departments, boards, commissions, councils or institutions, and any officer,
employee or member thereof acting or purporting to act in the exercise of
official duties. "Agency" includes any person providing child welfare or
juvenile justice services under contract with an agency that is subject to
investigation by the ombudsman. "Agency" does not include:
1. Any court or judge or appurtenant judicial staff;
2. The members, committees, or permanent or temporary staffs of
the Iowa general assembly;
3. The governor of Iowa or the governor's personal
staff;
4. Any instrumentality formed pursuant to an interstate compact
and answerable to more than one state; and
5. Any agency, official or employee of the federal government.
"Employee" means any employee of any
agency.
"Officer" means any officer of any
agency.
"Person" means an individual, aggregate of
individuals, corporation, partnership, or unincorporated association.
"Records" or "documents"
means any writings, drawings, graphs, charts, photographs, phonorecords, audio
recordings, video recordings, and any other data or information stored or
preserved in any medium.
