Official and Unofficial Editions

An electronic or print version of an edition of a legal publication designated as official by the Legislative Services Agency (Agency) acting under the oversight of the Legislative Council is the official and authoritative version of the statutes, administrative rules, or court rules of the state of Iowa. See Iowa Codes sections 2.42, 2A.1, and 2B.17. The legal publications are limited to the Iowa Code including the Iowa Constitution; the Code Supplement discontinued in 2014; the Iowa Acts and Joint Resolutions (Iowa Acts); the Iowa Administrative Bulletin; the Iowa Administrative Code; the Supplement to the Iowa Administrative Code; and the Iowa Court Rules. See Iowa Code chapter 2B.

Any electronic or print version of an edition of a legal publication is not official, unless the version has been designated as an official legal publication by the Agency pursuant to Iowa Code section 2B.17.

The Agency controls and maintains, in a secure electronic repository, custodial information used to produce official electronic and print versions of editions of legal publications as provided in Iowa Code sections 2B.5A and 2B.5B. The Agency also controls and maintains this website on behalf of the General Assembly which allows the public to access legislative material, including current and archived editions.

An edition of an official legal publication is an exact copy of legal material contained within custodial information stored in the secure electronic repository. The secure electronic repository is used to produce both the electronic and print versions of that edition.

The Agency is charged with designating certain records of legal publications as official. The implementation of Iowa Code chapter 2B, subchapter II, and specifically HF 743, Iowa’s Uniform Electronic Legal Material Act (UELMA), as provided in 2019 Iowa Acts, ch. 92 requires the Agency to designate specific electronic versions of editions as official. The UELMA was prepared by the National Conference of Commissioners of Uniform State Laws in 2011. The prefatory note stresses the need for flexible approaches by adopting jurisdictions, observing that the UELMA “does not require specific technologies, leaving the choice of technology for authentication and preservation up to the states.”

The Agency maintains editions of official legal publications as electronic versions accessible from this website, including the following:

• The Iowa Constitution (codified) that includes those amendments ratified on and after 2010.
• The Iowa Code, including the Iowa Constitution (codified), beginning with the 2014 edition.
• The Iowa Acts beginning with the 2014 edition.
• The Iowa Administrative Code beginning with the July 2, 2008 edition.
• The Supplement to the Iowa Administrative Code that contains replacement chapters incorporating amendments to the legal publication beginning with the July 2, 2008 edition.
• The Iowa Administrative Bulletin beginning with the July 2, 2008 edition.
• The Iowa Court Rules beginning with the 5th Edition that includes the July 2009 Supplement.

Pursuant to the UELMA, the Agency has implemented a system of authentication that allows a user to immediately compare a PDF document with the custodial information controlled and maintained by the Agency in the General Assembly’s secure electronic repository on and after the implementation date of January 9, 2020.

The Agency and the State Library maintain archived editions of official legal publication as print versions. For more information regarding a print version email the Agency at webmaster@legis.iowa.gov. The Agency may use an archived official print version of an edition of a legal publications to produce an electronic version of the edition for public access on this website regardless of whether it designates it as official.

A publication date is the date that an edition of a legal publication is conclusively presumed to be complete, incorporating all revisions or editorial changes. This includes any print or electronic version of that edition. Generally, the publication date is based on the date that an edition of a legal publication, including an updated or corrected edition, is first made available to the public accessing this website. See Iowa Code section 2B.17A.

The establishment of a publication date is an administrative function to establish publication cycles and distinguish editions of the same legal publication. Note, the publication date is not the date that a constitutional provision, statute, or rule takes effect or is applicable. The Agency’s designation of a publication date is not intended to affect the legal rights or duties of any person.