Senate Study Bill 1087 - Introduced SENATE/HOUSE FILE _____ BY (PROPOSED IOWA PUBLIC INFORMATION BOARD BILL) A BILL FOR An Act relating to public notice requirements for meetings of a 1 governmental body. 2 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 3 TLSB 1293DP (6) 91 cm/ns
S.F. _____ H.F. _____ Section 1. Section 21.4, subsection 1, paragraph a, Code 1 2025, is amended to read as follows: 2 a. Except as provided in subsection 3 , a governmental body 3 shall give notice of the time, date, and place of each meeting , 4 including a reconvened meeting of the governmental body, and 5 the tentative agenda of the meeting, in a manner reasonably 6 calculated to apprise the public of that information. 7 Reasonable 8 (1) Giving notice under this paragraph shall include 9 advising all of the following: 10 (a) Advising the news media who have filed a request for 11 notice with the governmental body and posting . 12 (b) Posting the notice on a bulletin board or other in a 13 prominent and conspicuous place which is easily accessible 14 to the public and clearly designated for that purpose at the 15 principal office of the body holding the meeting, or if no such 16 office exists, at the building in which the meeting is to be 17 held annually designated for such purposes by the governmental 18 body, in a manner such that the notice is visible at all times . 19 (c) Posting the notice on any internet site owned or 20 maintained and regularly updated by the governmental body or 21 other internet presence moderated by the governmental body, if 22 applicable. 23 (2) If a tentative agenda has been posted and is amended 24 within the time frame established in subsection 2, paragraph 25 a , the governmental body shall mark the agenda AMENDED 26 and identify the amended provisions. Upon amendment, the 27 governmental body shall give notice in accordance with 28 subparagraph (1). 29 Sec. 2. Section 21.4, subsection 2, paragraph a, Code 2025, 30 is amended to read as follows: 31 a. Except as otherwise provided in paragraph c , notice 32 conforming with all of the requirements of subsection 1 shall 33 be given at least twenty-four hours prior to the commencement 34 or cancellation of any meeting of a governmental body unless 35 -1- LSB 1293DP (6) 91 cm/ns 1/ 2
S.F. _____ H.F. _____ for good cause such notice is impossible or impractical, in 1 which case as much notice as is reasonably possible shall be 2 given. 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 public notice requirements for meetings 7 of a governmental body. The bill requires the act of giving 8 notice of a meeting of a governmental body to include (1) 9 advising the news media who have filed a request for notice 10 with the governmental body as provided under current law, (2) 11 posting the notice in a prominent and conspicuous place that 12 is designated annually by the governmental body, in a manner 13 such that the notice is visible at all times, and (3) posting 14 the notice on any associated internet site as specified in the 15 bill. If a tentative agenda has been posted and is amended, 16 the amended agenda shall be marked AMENDED, the amended 17 provisions identified, and a new notice provided. 18 The bill requires a governmental body to provide notice if 19 a meeting is canceled. The notice must be given at least 24 20 hours prior to the start of the meeting or, for good cause 21 shown, as soon as reasonably possible. 22 By operation of law, notice for electronic meetings 23 of governmental bodies as provided in Code section 21.8 24 (electronic meetings) shall comply with the notice requirements 25 in Code section 21.4 (public notice). In addition, the bill 26 applies to notices for public appointment and employment under 27 Code section 35C.1 (veterans preference appointments and 28 employment applications) and notices for whole grade sharing 29 agreements under Code section 282.11 (procedure for whole grade 30 sharing agreements). 31 -2- LSB 1293DP (6) 91 cm/ns 2/ 2