House File 168 - Introduced
HOUSE FILE
BY TYMESON
Passed House, Date Passed Senate, Date
Vote: Ayes Nays Vote: Ayes Nays
Approved
A BILL FOR
1 An Act relating to certain open meeting requirements.
2 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
3 TLSB 1997HH 83
4 rh/rj/8
PAG LIN
1 1 Section 1. Section 21.3, Code 2009, is amended to read as
1 2 follows:
1 3 21.3 MEETINGS OF GOVERNMENTAL BODIES.
1 4 1. Meetings of governmental bodies shall be preceded by
1 5 public notice as provided in section 21.4 and shall be held in
1 6 open session unless closed sessions are expressly permitted by
1 7 law. Except as provided in section 21.5, all actions and
1 8 discussions at meetings of governmental bodies, whether formal
1 9 or informal, shall be conducted and executed in open session.
1 10 2. Each governmental body shall keep minutes of all its
1 11 meetings showing the date, time and place, the members
1 12 present, and the action taken at each meeting. The minutes
1 13 shall show the results of each vote taken and information
1 14 sufficient to indicate the vote of each member present. The
1 15 vote of each member present shall be made public at the open
1 16 session. The minutes shall be public records open to public
1 17 inspection.
1 18 3. Each governmental body shall provide to all persons in
1 19 attendance at a meeting of a governmental body copies of all
1 20 material distributed in connection with the meeting at the
1 21 time the meeting is held, if practicable, or within three days
1 22 after the meeting is held by posting such material on the
1 23 internet site of the governmental body or, upon request, by
1 24 sending such material to a requester by regular mail or
1 25 electronic mail.
1 26 4. Each governmental body shall schedule at least fifty
1 27 percent of the governmental body's meetings in the evening
1 28 hours.
1 29 Sec. 2. Section 21.4, subsections 1 and 2, Code 2009, are
1 30 amended to read as follows:
1 31 1. A governmental body, except township trustees, shall
1 32 give notice of the time, date, and place of each meeting, and
1 33 its tentative agenda, in a manner reasonably calculated to
1 34 apprise the public of that information. Reasonable notice
1 35 shall include advising the news media who have filed a request
2 1 for notice with the governmental body and posting the notice
2 2 on a bulletin board or other prominent place which is easily
2 3 accessible to the public and clearly designated for that
2 4 purpose at the principal office of the body holding the
2 5 meeting, or if no such office exists, at the building in which
2 6 the meeting is to be held. A meeting notice shall be posted
2 7 at a designated location at the principal place of business of
2 8 the governmental body holding the meeting or at the building
2 9 in which the meeting is to be held.
2 10 2. a. Notice Unless otherwise provided by law, notice
2 11 conforming with all of the requirements of subsection 1 of
2 12 this section shall be given at least twenty=four seventy=two
2 13 hours prior to the commencement of any meeting of a
2 14 governmental body unless for good cause such notice is
2 15 impossible or impractical, in which case as much notice as is
2 16 reasonably possible shall be given. Each meeting shall be
2 17 held at a place reasonably accessible to the public, and at a
2 18 time reasonably convenient to the public, unless for good
2 19 cause such a place or time is impossible or impractical.
2 20 Special access to the meeting may be granted to persons with
2 21 disabilities.
2 22 b. When Unless otherwise provided by law, when it is
2 23 necessary to hold a meeting on less than twenty=four
2 24 seventy=two hours' notice, or at a place that is not
2 25 reasonably accessible to the public, or at a time that is not
2 26 reasonably convenient to the public, the nature of the good
2 27 cause justifying that departure from the normal requirements
2 28 shall be stated in the minutes.
2 29 Sec. 3. Section 28E.6, Code 2009, is amended by adding the
2 30 following new subsection:
2 31 NEW SUBSECTION. 4. Each joint board of the entity created
2 32 in the agreement shall provide to all persons in attendance at
2 33 a meeting of the joint board copies of all material
2 34 distributed in connection with the meeting at the time the
2 35 meeting is held, if practicable, or within three days after
3 1 the meeting is held by posting such material on the internet
3 2 site of the joint board or, upon request, by sending such
3 3 material to a requester by regular mail or electronic mail.
3 4 EXPLANATION
3 5 This bill makes changes to certain open meetings
3 6 requirements.
3 7 The bill requires a governmental body subject to Iowa's
3 8 open meetings law to provide to all persons in attendance at a
3 9 meeting of a governmental body copies of all material
3 10 distributed in connection with the meeting at the time the
3 11 meeting is held, if practicable, or within three days after
3 12 the meeting is held by posting such material on the internet
3 13 site of the governmental body or, upon request, by sending
3 14 such material to a requester by regular mail or electronic
3 15 mail.
3 16 The bill requires a governmental body to schedule at least
3 17 50 percent of the body's meetings in the evening hours.
3 18 The bill provides that a meeting notice shall be posted at
3 19 a designated location at the principal place of business of
3 20 the governmental body holding the meeting or at the building
3 21 in which the meeting is to be held.
3 22 The bill requires public notice of a meeting of a
3 23 governmental body to be posted at least 72 hours before the
3 24 meeting is held.
3 25 The bill also requires a joint board of the entity created
3 26 in a 28E agreement pursuant to Code chapter 28E to provide to
3 27 all persons in attendance at a meeting of the joint board
3 28 copies of all material distributed in connection with the
3 29 meeting at the time the meeting is held, if practicable, or
3 30 within three days after the meeting is held by posting such
3 31 material on the internet site of the joint board or, upon
3 32 request, by sending such material to a requester by regular
3 33 mail or electronic mail.
3 34 LSB 1997HH 83
3 35 rh/rj/8