House File 949 - Introduced HOUSE FILE 949 BY COMMITTEE ON LOCAL GOVERNMENT (SUCCESSOR TO HSB 250) A BILL FOR An Act concerning the duties of county commissioners and county 1 auditors. 2 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 3 TLSB 2602HV (3) 91 ll/js
H.F. 949 Section 1. Section 47.5, subsection 1, Code 2025, is amended 1 to read as follows: 2 1. a. Except for legal services and printing of ballots, 3 the commissioner shall take bids for goods and services which 4 that are needed in connection with registration of voters or 5 preparation for or administration of elections and which that 6 will be performed or provided by persons who are not employees 7 of the commissioner under the following circumstances: 8 a. (1) In any case where when it is proposed to purchase 9 data processing services. The commissioner shall give the 10 registrar written notice in advance on each occasion when it 11 is proposed to have data processing services, necessary in 12 connection with the administration of elections, performed 13 by any person other than the registrar or an employee of the 14 county. Such notice shall be made at least thirty days prior 15 to publication of the specifications. 16 b. (2) In all other cases, where the cost of the goods or 17 services to be purchased will exceed one thousand dollars For 18 the purchase of goods or services when the anticipated cost of 19 the goods or services exceeds fifty thousand dollars . 20 b. Notwithstanding paragraph a , if the anticipated cost 21 of goods or services to be purchased by the commissioner is 22 equal to or less than fifty thousand dollars, the commissioner 23 may use an informal bid process to solicit written bids from 24 at least three qualified contractors that either sell the 25 needed goods or provide the needed services in accordance with 26 applicable local, state, or federal law. 27 Sec. 2. Section 64.24, subsection 1, Code 2025, is amended 28 to read as follows: 29 1. a. The secretary of state, each county auditor, each 30 district court clerk, and each auditor or clerk of a city shall 31 keep a book, to be known as the Record of Official Bonds , 32 and all official bonds shall be recorded therein in full as 33 follows: 34 (1) a. In the record kept by the secretary of state, the 35 -1- LSB 2602HV (3) 91 ll/js 1/ 3
H.F. 949 official bonds of all state officers, elective or appointive, 1 except the bonds of notaries public. 2 (2) b. In the record kept by the county auditor, the 3 official bonds of all county officers, elective or appointive, 4 and township clerks. 5 (3) c. In the record kept by the city auditor or clerk, the 6 official bonds of all city officers, elective or appointive. 7 (4) d. In the record kept by the district court clerk, the 8 official bonds of judicial magistrates. 9 b. The records shall have an index which, under the title of 10 each office, shall show the name of each principal and the date 11 of the filing of the bond. 12 Sec. 3. Section 64.24, subsection 1, paragraph b, Code 2025, 13 is amended by striking the paragraph. 14 Sec. 4. Section 331.502, subsections 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 15, 15 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 30, 35, and 36, Code 2025, are amended by 16 striking the subsections. 17 Sec. 5. Section 331.508, subsections 4 and 5, Code 2025, are 18 amended by striking the subsections. 19 EXPLANATION 20 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 21 the explanations substance by the members of the general assembly. 22 This bill relates to the duties of county commissioners and 23 county auditors. 24 Under current law, the county commissioner must take 25 bids for goods and services when the cost of the goods 26 or services to be purchased will exceed $1,000. The bill 27 raises the threshold to an amount exceeding $50,000 and, if 28 the anticipated cost is equal to or less than $50,000, the 29 commissioner may use an informal bid process to solicit written 30 bids from at least three qualified contractors that either sell 31 the needed goods or provide the needed services. 32 The secretary of state, each county auditor, district court 33 clerk, and each auditor or clerk of a city must keep a book 34 known as the Record of Official Bonds. The bill eliminates 35 -2- LSB 2602HV (3) 91 ll/js 2/ 3
H.F. 949 the requirement that the bonds be indexed in the book by the 1 name of the principal and the date the bond is filed. 2 The bill eliminates a variety of duties assigned to county 3 auditors including: attesting to anticipatory warrants issued 4 by the board for the operation of a county limestone quarry; 5 carrying out duties relating to the determination of residency, 6 collection of funds due the county, and support of persons 7 with intellectual disabilities; collecting the costs relating 8 to the treatment and care of private patients at the state 9 psychiatric hospital; carrying out duties relating to the 10 hospitalization and support of persons with mental illness; 11 issuing warrants and maintaining a permanent record of persons 12 receiving veteran assistance; ordering the county treasurer to 13 transfer tuition payments from the account of the debtor school 14 corporation to the creditor school corporation; ordering the 15 county treasurer to transfer transportation service fees from 16 the account of the debtor school corporation to the creditor 17 school corporation; apportioning school taxes, rents, and 18 other money dedicated for public school purposes; carrying 19 out duties relating to school lands and funds; carrying out 20 duties relating to the establishment, alteration, and vacation 21 of public highways; carrying out duties relating to the 22 establishment and maintenance of secondary roads; notifying 23 the state department of transportation of claims filed for 24 improvements on public roads payable from the primary road 25 fund; acknowledging satisfaction of the mortgage by execution 26 of a written instrument referring to the mortgage for payment 27 of a permanent school fund mortgage; and receiving moneys 28 recovered from a person willfully committing waste or trespass 29 on real estate and recording in a book kept for that purpose. 30 The bill eliminates certain books and records kept by 31 county auditors including an account book and index of persons 32 receiving mental health treatment and a permanent record of the 33 names and addresses of persons receiving veteran assistance. 34 -3- LSB 2602HV (3) 91 ll/js 3/ 3