CHAPTER 7COMPETITIVE BIDDING FOR PUBLIC IMPROVEMENT CONTRACTS — ACCESS TO DOCUMENTSH.F. 167AN ACT concerning access to documents during the competitive bidding process for public improvement contracts.Be It Enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Iowa: Section 1. Section 26.3, subsection 2, Code 2015, is amended to read as follows: 2. A governmental entity shall have an engineer licensed under chapter 542B, a landscape architect licensed under chapter 544B, or an architect registered under chapter 544A prepare plans and specifications, and calculate the estimated total cost of a proposed public improvement. A governmental entity shall ensure that a sufficient number of paper copies, and if available, electronic and digital copies of the project’s contract documents, including all drawings, plans, specifications, and estimated total costs of the proposed public improvement are made available for distribution at no charge to prospective bidders, subcontractor bidders, suppliers, and contractor plan room services. If a deposit is required as part of a paper contract documents distribution policy by the public owner, the deposit shall not exceed two hundred fifty dollars per set which shall be refunded upon return of the contract documents within fourteen days after award of the project. If the contract documents are not returned in a timely manner and in a reusable condition, the deposit shall be forfeited. The governmental entity shall reimburse the landscape architect, architect, or professional engineer for the actual costs of preparation and distribution of plans and specifications.Approved March 5, 2015