House Study Bill 247 - Introduced HOUSE FILE _____ BY (PROPOSED COMMITTEE ON STATE GOVERNMENT BILL BY CHAIRPERSON BLOOMINGDALE) A BILL FOR An Act relating to proofs of publication of public notices. 1 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 2 TLSB 1969YC (4) 91 ss/jh
H.F. _____ Section 1. Section 618.11, Code 2025, is amended to read as 1 follows: 2 618.11 Fees for publication and proof of publication. 3 1. a. The compensation, when not otherwise fixed, for the 4 publication in a newspaper of any notice, order, citation, or 5 other publication required or allowed by law shall be at a 6 rate of thirty-four cents for one insertion and twenty-three 7 cents for each subsequent insertion for each line of eight 8 point type two inches in length, or its equivalent. Beginning 9 June 1, 2001, and each June 1 thereafter, the director of 10 the department of administrative services shall calculate 11 a new rate for the following fiscal year as prescribed in 12 this subsection paragraph , and shall publish this rate as a 13 notice in the Iowa administrative bulletin prior to the first 14 day of the following calendar month. The new rate shall be 15 effective on the first day of the calendar month following its 16 publication. The rate shall be calculated by applying the 17 percentage change in the consumer price index for all urban 18 consumers for the last available twelve-month period published 19 in the federal register by the federal department of labor, 20 bureau of labor statistics, to the existing rate as an increase 21 or decrease in the rate rounded to the nearest one-tenth of 22 a cent. The calculation and publication of the rate by the 23 director of the department of administrative services shall be 24 exempt from the provisions of chapters 17A and 25B . 25 b. Except as otherwise required, proof of publication 26 means a document that includes the published document, date of 27 publication, and the name of the newspaper of publication or a 28 statement that the document was posted on the statewide public 29 notice internet site as provided in section 618.8. 30 2. A newspaper shall not charge a fee to a government body, 31 as defined in section 22.1 , for proof of publication of a 32 public notice. A newspaper may charge a fee, not to exceed the 33 actual costs of preparation, for a proof of publication that 34 includes additional elements, including a notarized affidavit 35 -1- LSB 1969YC (4) 91 ss/jh 1/ 2
H.F. _____ requested by a government body, as defined in section 22.1. 1 3. A proof of publication shall constitute an admissible 2 writing or record as provided in section 622.28. 3 EXPLANATION 4 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 5 the explanations substance by the members of the general assembly. 6 This bill relates to proofs of publication of public 7 notices. The bill defines proof of publication as a document 8 that includes the published document, date of publication, and 9 the name of the newspaper of publication or a statement that 10 the document was posted on the statewide public notice internet 11 site, as applicable. The bill allows a newspaper to charge a 12 fee, not to exceed the actual costs of preparation, for a proof 13 of publication that includes additional elements, including a 14 notarized affidavit requested by a government body. The bill 15 categorizes a proof of publication as an admissible writing or 16 record under the rules of evidence. 17 -2- LSB 1969YC (4) 91 ss/jh 2/ 2