SSB 3107

This bill relates to official publications by governmental bodies, defined in the bill. The bill requires that a newspaper used for official publication be one that is currently published in a physical format. If a governmental body pays a newspaper to publish a public notice but the newspaper fails to timely or accurately publish the public notice, the bill provides that the notice requirements are nevertheless satisfied if the governmental body timely and accurately published the notice on the governmental body’s official internet site such that the notice is clearly identifiable and accessible. The bill requires a newspaper that fails to publish a public notice for which it received payment to refund all moneys received for the publication to the governmental body that made the payment. The bill requires disputes regarding publication and payment to be heard by the Iowa public information board as a contested case proceeding. The bill changes alternative publication options in circumstances where a sufficient number of newspapers do not exist. If a sufficient number of newspapers to meet statutory publication requirements do not exist within the territory of a governmental body, the bill allows the governmental body to satisfy statutory publication requirements by publishing the notice to the governmental body’s official internet site such that the notice is clearly identifiable and accessible. _____ alternative newspapers if a sufficient number of newspapers to meet statutory publication requirements do not exist within the territory of a governmental body.