Senate Study Bill 1114 - Introduced SENATE/HOUSE FILE _____ BY (PROPOSED IOWA PUBLIC INFORMATION BOARD BILL) A BILL FOR An Act relating to the definition of meeting and public notice 1 requirements under the open meetings law. 2 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 3 TLSB 1024DP (5) 89 cm/rh
S.F. _____ H.F. _____ Section 1. Section 21.2, subsection 2, Code 2021, is amended 1 to read as follows: 2 2. “Meeting” means a gathering in person or by electronic 3 means, formal or informal, of a majority of the members of 4 a governmental body where there is deliberation or action 5 upon any matter within the scope of the governmental body’s 6 policy-making or budgetary duties. Meetings shall not include 7 a gathering of members of a governmental body for purely 8 ministerial or social purposes when there is no discussion of 9 policy or budgetary duties or no intent to avoid the purposes 10 of this chapter . 11 Sec. 2. Section 21.4, subsection 1, paragraph a, Code 2021, 12 is amended to read as follows: 13 a. Except as provided in subsection 3 , a governmental body 14 shall give notice of the time, date, and place of each meeting 15 including a reconvened meeting of the governmental body, and 16 the tentative agenda of the meeting, in a manner reasonably 17 calculated to apprise the public of that information. 18 Reasonable notice shall include advising the news media 19 any person who have has filed a request for notice with the 20 governmental body and posting the notice on a bulletin board or 21 other prominent place which is easily accessible to the public 22 and clearly designated for that purpose at the principal office 23 of the body holding the meeting, or if no such office exists, 24 at the building in which the meeting is to be held. 25 Sec. 3. Section 21.4, subsection 2, paragraph a, Code 2021, 26 is amended to read as follows: 27 a. Except as otherwise provided in paragraph “c” , notice 28 conforming with all of the requirements of subsection 1 shall 29 be given at least twenty-four hours prior to the commencement 30 of any meeting of a governmental body , excluding weekend days 31 and paid holidays as specified in section 1C.2, unless for good 32 cause such notice is impossible or impractical, in which case 33 as much notice as is reasonably possible shall be given. 34 EXPLANATION 35 -1- LSB 1024DP (5) 89 cm/rh 1/ 2
S.F. _____ H.F. _____ The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 1 the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly. 2 This bill relates to the definition of meeting and public 3 notice requirements under the open meetings law (Code chapter 4 21). 5 The bill amends the definition of a meeting that is subject 6 to the requirements of the open meetings law by expanding the 7 definition to include any deliberations or actions (including 8 recommendations) taken by a governmental body as defined in 9 the open meetings law, that are within a governmental body’s 10 budgetary duties. 11 The bill provides that reasonable notice of a meeting shall 12 include providing notice to any person, and not just the news 13 media, if the person has filed a request for notice. 14 The bill also excludes weekend days and paid holidays as 15 specified in Code section 1C.2 when determining the 24-hour 16 time period for purposes of public notice under the open 17 meetings law. 18 -2- LSB 1024DP (5) 89 cm/rh 2/ 2