House Study Bill 79



                                       SENATE/HOUSE FILE       
                                        BY  (PROPOSED DEPARTMENT OF
                                             AGRICULTURE AND LAND
                                             STEWARDSHIP BILL)


    Passed Senate, Date               Passed House,  Date             
    Vote:  Ayes        Nays           Vote:  Ayes        Nays         
                 Approved                            

                                      A BILL FOR

  1 An Act providing for the confidentiality of records relating to
  2    the outbreak of animal disease, and providing an effective
  3    date.
  4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
  5 TLSB 1220DP 81
  6 da/sh/8

PAG LIN



  1  1    Section 1.  Section 22.7, Code 2005, is amended by adding
  1  2 the following new subsection:
  1  3    NEW SUBSECTION.  39A.  A record, including but not limited
  1  4 to a report or other information, relating to the control of
  1  5 animal disease outbreaks.  The record must be in the custody
  1  6 of the department of agriculture and land stewardship and kept
  1  7 as part of a federal or state animal health program which
  1  8 provides for the identification and tracking of animals.  The
  1  9 information may relate to an investigation, a person
  1 10 associated with the animal, or an animal carcass.  However,
  1 11 nothing in this subsection restricts the department from
  1 12 releasing a record to any person.
  1 13    Sec. 2.  EFFECTIVE DATE.  This Act, being deemed of
  1 14 immediate importance, takes effect upon enactment.
  1 15                           EXPLANATION
  1 16    This bill amends Code chapter 22, Iowa's open records law.
  1 17 Code section 22.2 provides that every person may examine,
  1 18 copy, and disseminate a record which is in the custody of a
  1 19 governmental body (a public record).  However, Code section
  1 20 22.7 provides that certain public records are confidential and
  1 21 are not available for general access.  This bill adds to the
  1 22 list of confidential records.  It provides that the department
  1 23 of agriculture and land stewardship may keep a record
  1 24 confidential if it relates to the control of animal disease
  1 25 outbreaks and the record is kept as part of a federal or state
  1 26 animal health program which provides for the identification
  1 27 and tracking of animals.  These types of records may relate to
  1 28 state animal health statutes such as pseudorabies control (see
  1 29 Code section 166D.15) or the proposed national animal
  1 30 identification system administered by the United States
  1 31 department of agriculture.
  1 32 LSB 1220DP 81
  1 33 da/sh/8