House File 420 - Introduced HOUSE FILE 420 BY COMMITTEE ON LOCAL GOVERNMENT (SUCCESSOR TO HF 245) A BILL FOR An Act relating to protests considered by local boards of 1 review and including effective date and applicability 2 provisions. 3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 4 TLSB 1584HV (2) 90 md/jh
H.F. 420 Section 1. Section 441.31, subsection 2, Code 2023, is 1 amended by adding the following new paragraph: 2 NEW PARAGRAPH . c. For a ten-member county board of review 3 created under paragraph “b” , the chairperson of the board may 4 authorize the board of review to convene subunits of the board 5 of not less than three members for the purpose of conducting 6 hearings, receiving evidence, and making recommendations for 7 the resolution of protests to then be considered by the full 8 board of review. Meetings of a majority, but in no case less 9 than three members, of the subunit members under this paragraph 10 shall constitute a meeting of a governmental body under section 11 21.2, subsection 2, and the meeting shall be conducted in 12 accordance with chapter 21. If a protest is considered by a 13 subunit of the board, the recommendation of the subunit must 14 subsequently be considered by the full board of review for 15 final disposition. A recommendation of a subunit of the board 16 of review may be modified by the full board of review prior to 17 approval. 18 Sec. 2. EFFECTIVE DATE. This Act, being deemed of immediate 19 importance, takes effect upon enactment. 20 Sec. 3. APPLICABILITY. This Act applies to assessment 21 protests for assessment years beginning on or after January 1, 22 2023. 23 EXPLANATION 24 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 25 the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly. 26 Code section 441.31, in part, governs the composition of 27 local boards of review, which are required to hear property 28 assessment protests. Under current law, if a city having a 29 population of more than 125,000 abolishes its office of city 30 assessor, the city may provide, by ordinance, for a city board 31 of review or request the county conference board to appoint 32 a 10-member county board of review. This bill specifies 33 that for a 10-member county board of review, the chairperson 34 of the board may authorize the board of review to convene 35 -1- LSB 1584HV (2) 90 md/jh 1/ 2
H.F. 420 subunits of the board of not less than three members for the 1 purpose of conducting a hearing, receiving evidence, and making 2 recommendations for the resolution of protests to be considered 3 by the full board of review. A protest considered by a subunit 4 of the board must subsequently be considered by the full board 5 of review for final disposition. Meetings of a majority, but 6 in no case less than three members, of the subunit members 7 under the bill constitutes a meeting of a governmental body 8 under Code section 21.2(2), and the meeting shall be conducted 9 in accordance with Iowa’s open meetings law. 10 The bill takes effect upon enactment and applies to 11 assessment protests for assessment years beginning on or after 12 January 1, 2023. 13 -2- LSB 1584HV (2) 90 md/jh 2/ 2