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91st General Assembly · Funnel one-pager · Monday, November 9, 2026

HF 936: Relating to government bodies for purposes of open records, and making penalties applicable

Died when the session ended · The General Assembly adjourned on October 2, 2026. Bills that didn’t pass both chambers died.

What it does

This bill amends the definition of “government body” in Code chapter (open records) to include an instrumentality of a city or township, thereby subjecting such instrumentalities to open records requirements and associated civil penalties applicable to government bodies.1 (felonious misconduct in office).1, a public officer or employee who knowingly falsifies a writing, or knowingly delivers a falsified writing, with the knowledge that the writing is falsified and that the writing will become a public record of a government body, commits a class “D” felony.

Sponsors

Local Government committee

Cost

Cost: up to $18,100

The fiscal impact of House File 936 cannot be determined, but is anticipated to be minimal. The average State cost for a Class D felony is between $13,000 and $18,100. The estimated impact to the General Fund includes operating costs incurred by the Judicial B…

House subcommittee · named January 22, 2026

  • Rep. Sam Wengryn (R) · sam.wengryn@legis.iowa.gov
  • Rep. Jennifer J. Smith (R) · jennifer.smith@legis.iowa.gov
  • Rep. Aime Wichtendahl (D) · aime.wichtendahl@legis.iowa.gov

Lobbying · 3 for, 1 against

For: American Civil Liberties Union of Iowa (ACLU-IA); Iowa Chapter of Sierra Club; Iowa Freedom of Information Council

Against: Iowa Chapter of Sierra Club

In plain words

  1. February 18, 2025Filed in the House and sent to the Local Government committee · as HSB 192
  2. February 18, 2025House subcommittee named: Wheeler, Gosa and Jones · as HSB 192
  3. February 20, 2025Subcommittee recommended passing it · as HSB 192
  4. March 5, 2025Approved by the House committee · as HSB 192
  5. March 5, 2025Committee vote: 17–0 · as HSB 192
  6. March 12, 2025Filed in the House
  7. March 12, 2025Approved by the House committee, and given a new number: HF 936 · as HSB 192
  8. April 3, 2025Sent to the House Local Government committee
  9. January 22, 2026House subcommittee named: Wengryn, Smith and Wichtendahl
  10. February 4, 2026Subcommittee recommended passing it
  11. February 10, 2026Approved by the House committee
  12. February 10, 2026Committee vote: 21–0
  13. March 4, 2026Cost estimate (fiscal note) posted
  14. March 5, 2026Passed the House, 86–0
  15. March 9, 2026Arrived in the Senate

From public records at legis.iowa.gov, compiled by Funnel (iowafunnel.com), an independent, nonpartisan site. Current as of Monday, November 9, 2026. https://iowafunnel.com/bills/91/HF936