House
File
2485
-
Introduced
HOUSE
FILE
2485
BY
COMMITTEE
ON
JUDICIARY
(SUCCESSOR
TO
HSB
676)
A
BILL
FOR
An
Act
relating
to
access
to
confidential
records
of
the
1
commission
on
judicial
qualifications
by
members
of
the
2
general
assembly.
3
BE
IT
ENACTED
BY
THE
GENERAL
ASSEMBLY
OF
THE
STATE
OF
IOWA:
4
TLSB
6180HV
(1)
89
cm/jh
H.F.
2485
Section
1.
Section
602.2103,
Code
2022,
is
amended
to
read
1
as
follows:
2
602.2103
Operation
of
commission.
3
A
quorum
of
the
commission
is
four
members.
Only
those
4
commission
members
that
are
present
at
commission
meetings
5
or
hearings
may
vote.
An
application
by
the
commission
to
6
the
supreme
court
to
retire,
discipline,
or
remove
a
judicial
7
officer,
or
discipline
or
remove
an
employee
of
the
judicial
8
branch,
or
an
action
by
the
commission
which
affects
the
final
9
disposition
of
a
complaint,
requires
the
affirmative
vote
of
10
at
least
four
commission
members.
Notwithstanding
chapter
21
11
and
chapter
22
,
all
records,
papers,
proceedings,
meetings,
12
and
hearings
of
the
commission
are
confidential,
but
if
the
13
commission
applies
to
the
supreme
court
to
retire,
discipline,
14
or
remove
a
judicial
officer,
or
to
discipline
or
remove
an
15
employee
of
the
judicial
branch,
the
application
and
all
of
the
16
records
and
papers
in
that
proceeding
are
public
documents.
17
Upon
request,
a
member
of
the
general
assembly
shall
have
18
access
to
confidential
complaints,
decisions,
actions,
records,
19
papers,
or
other
information
taken
by
the
commission.
A
member
20
of
the
general
assembly
provided
access
by
the
commission
shall
21
keep
all
information
received
confidential.
A
member
of
the
22
general
assembly
party
to
an
action
before
a
judicial
officer
23
shall
not
be
allowed
to
request
or
obtain
access
to
complaints,
24
decisions,
actions,
records,
papers,
or
other
information
25
provided
to
the
commission
pertaining
to
that
judicial
officer
26
until
the
action
is
final
and
may
not
be
appealed.
27
EXPLANATION
28
The
inclusion
of
this
explanation
does
not
constitute
agreement
with
29
the
explanation’s
substance
by
the
members
of
the
general
assembly.
30
This
bill
relates
to
confidential
records
of
the
commission
31
on
judicial
qualifications.
The
commission
on
judicial
32
qualifications
was
created
to
hear
charges
made
against
33
judicial
officers
and
employees
of
the
judicial
branch
and
34
determine
whether
to
make
an
application
to
the
supreme
court
35
-1-
LSB
6180HV
(1)
89
cm/jh
1/
2
H.F.
2485
to
retire,
discipline,
or
remove
a
judicial
officer
or
remove
a
1
judicial
branch
employee.
The
records
made
to
the
commission
2
are
confidential
unless
the
commission
decides
to
apply
to
the
3
supreme
court
to
take
action
against
the
judicial
officer
or
4
employee
in
which
case
the
records
become
public
documents.
5
The
bill
provides
that
a
member
of
the
general
assembly
may
6
request
access
to
the
commission
on
judicial
qualifications’
7
records.
A
member
of
the
general
assembly
that
is
granted
8
access
is
not
able
to
disclose
any
of
the
records
provided.
A
9
member
of
the
general
assembly
that
is
party
to
an
action
shall
10
not
be
allowed
to
request
records
relating
to
the
judicial
11
officer
presiding
over
the
action
the
member
of
the
general
12
assembly
is
involved
in
until
the
action
is
final
and
may
not
13
be
appealed.
14
-2-
LSB
6180HV
(1)
89
cm/jh
2/
2