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

SF 503: 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 county, city, or township, thereby subjecting such instrumentalities to open records requirements and associated civil penalties applicable to government bodies. The bill defines the term “instrumentality”.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…

Senate subcommittee · named January 13, 2026

  • Sen. Scott Webster (R) · scott.webster@legis.iowa.gov
  • Sen. Herman C. Quirmbach (D) · herman.quirmbach@legis.iowa.gov
  • Sen. Dave Sires (R) · dave.sires@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. January 29, 2025Filed in the Senate and sent to the Local Government committee · as SSB 1072
  2. January 29, 2025Senate subcommittee named: Webster, Quirmbach and Sires · as SSB 1072
  3. February 24, 2025Subcommittee recommended passing it with changes · as SSB 1072
  4. March 3, 2025Approved by the Senate committee, and given a new number: SF 503 · as SSB 1072
  5. March 4, 2025Filed in the Senate
  6. March 4, 2025Approved by the Senate committee
  7. June 16, 2025Sent to the Senate Local Government committee
  8. January 13, 2026Senate subcommittee named: Webster, Quirmbach and Sires
  9. January 22, 2026Subcommittee recommended passing it
  10. January 28, 2026Approved by the Senate committee
  11. March 4, 2026Cost estimate (fiscal note) posted

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/SF503