Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the State of Iowa that nothing in the Constitution of the State of Iowa shall be construed to recognize, grant, or secure a right to abortion or to require the public funding of abortion

Description

House Joint Resolution 2004 proposes an amendment to the Iowa Constitution specifying that the Constitution shall not be construed to recognize, grant, or secure a right to abortion or to require the public funding of abortion.

Background

Iowa Code section 49A.1 and the Iowa Constitution require that when an amendment to the Constitution is first passed by the General Assembly, and has been referred to the next succeeding General Assembly, the General Assembly is required to publish the proposed amendment in two newspapers of general circulation in each Iowa congressional district once each month for three consecutive months prior to the start of the next General Assembly. The General Assembly is also required to make the amendment available on an Internet site. Upon passage of the same amendment by the succeeding General Assembly, Iowa Code section 49A.2 requires the amendment to be published in newspapers in all 99 counties once each month for three consecutive months immediately preceding the general election. Iowa Code section 49A.9 requires that these expenses, while arranged by the General Assembly, are required to be paid for by the State Commissioner of Elections (Secretary of State).

Assumptions

• The average cost to publish an amendment in a single newspaper is $600.
• Publication of the initial amendment would occur in eight newspapers (two in each congressional district) for a three-month period.
• Subsequent publication of the amendment would occur in 99 newspapers (one in each county) for a three-month period if the Joint Resolution were passed by the 89th General Assembly.

Fiscal Impact

Constitutional Amendment Publication Cost. The estimated cost to publish a proposed constitutional amendment passed by the General Assembly during the 2020 Legislative Session would be $14,400 (8 newspapers x 3 months x $600). The costs would be incurred in the fall of 2020 (FY 2021).

Assuming the proposed amendment is passed a second time during the 2021 Legislative Session, the estimated cost would be $178,200 (99 newspapers x 3 months x $600). The costs would be incurred in the fall of 2022 (FY 2023).

These publication costs would be incurred by the Secretary of the Senate’s Office and the Chief Clerk’s Office in the House of Representatives and reimbursed by the Iowa Secretary of State’s Office.

Sources

• Legislative Services Agency
• Office of the Secretary of State