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Bill > HF2291
IA HF2291
IA HF2291A bill for an act relating to charging fees for examining and copying public records requested by members of the general assembly.
summary
Introduced
02/05/2026
02/05/2026
In Committee
02/05/2026
02/05/2026
Crossed Over
Passed
Dead
05/03/2026
05/03/2026
Introduced Session
91st General Assembly
Bill Summary
This bill relates to fees for public records requested by members of the general assembly. Pursuant to Code section 22.3, custodians of public records may charge a reasonable fee for supervising the examination of as well as the making and providing copies of public records. A reasonable fee under Code section 22.3 is to be determined by the costs “directly attributable to supervising the examination of and making and providing copies of public records”. The bill creates an exception to the charging of fees for the examining and copying of certain public records requested by a member of the general assembly. This exception applies to all public records that every person has a right to examine pursuant to Code section 22.2 (right to examine public records —— exceptions) and is subject to specific confidentiality restrictions in Code section 22.7 (confidential records). The bill may include a state mandate as defined in Code section 25B.3. The bill makes inapplicable Code section 25B.2, subsection 3, which would relieve a political subdivision from complying with a state mandate if funding for the cost of the state mandate is not provided or specified. Therefore, political subdivisions are required to comply with any state mandate included in the bill.
AI Summary
This bill exempts members of the general assembly from paying fees when they request to examine or copy public records that they are legally entitled to access, as long as those records are not confidential under section 22.7. Currently, custodians of public records (officials who hold these records) can charge reasonable fees for the time and effort involved in supervising the examination and making copies of public records, based on costs directly related to these tasks. This bill amends section 22.3 of the Iowa Code to create an exception to these fee requirements specifically for legislators. The bill also clarifies that political subdivisions (like cities and counties) cannot use a lack of funding as a reason to avoid complying with any mandates imposed by this bill, meaning they must provide these records to legislators for free if required.
Committee Categories
Government Affairs
Sponsors (1)
Last Action
Introduced, referred to State Government. H.J. 212. (on 02/05/2026)
Bill Topics
Government Operations
- ‐ Government Transparency and Open Records
- ‐ Legislative Branch Operations and Rules
Official Document
bill text
bill summary
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bill summary
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bill summary
| Document Type | Source Location | Created |
|---|---|---|
| State Bill Page | https://www.legis.iowa.gov/legislation/BillBook?ga=91&ba=HF2291 | 02/05/2026 |
| BillText | https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/publications/LGI/91/attachments/HF2291.html | 02/05/2026 |
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