Bills › 91st General Assembly
Relating to government bodies for purposes of open records, and making penalties applicable
Sponsored by the Senate Local Government Committee
Where it is now
- Done: IntroducedJanuary 29, 2025
- Done: SubcommitteeJanuary 29, 2025
- Done: Senate committeeMarch 3, 2025
- Stopped: Passes the SenateDied when the General Assembly ended
- Skipped: House committeeSkipped
- Done: Passes the HouseMarch 5, 202686–0
- Next: To the Governor
- Next: Signed into law
Died when the session ended The 2026 session adjourned on May 3, 2026, the General Assembly’s last regular session. Bills that didn’t pass both chambers died. What’s a funnel?
What’s in it
AI summary Certain organizations that work for a county, city, or township would now be considered government bodies under Iowa law. This change means these groups must follow the same public record rules and transparency requirements as other government agencies. It also means their employees could face legal penalties or criminal charges if they intentionally falsify public documents.1
Read the official explanation
This bill amends the definition of “government body” in Code chapter 22 (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. A class “D” felony is punishable by confinement for no more than five years and a fine of at least $1,025 but not more than $10,245.
Why it matters. Certain entities that function as instrumentalities of cities, counties, or townships would now be considered government bodies subject to open records requirements and public notice rules. Public officers or employees of these entities could face felony charges for knowingly falsifying documents that become public records. The fiscal impact of this bill is anticipated to be minimal, though any resulting costs to the state's General Fund would be incurred by the Judicial Branch, the Indigent Defense Fund, and the Department of Corrections.2
Senate subcommittee
Named January 13, 2026. On January 22, 2026 it recommended passage.
Three legislators hear a bill first and recommend what the committee should do; it’s the best time to weigh in. How to take part
Fiscal note
Cost: up to $18,100 Compare with other bills
AI summary Senate File 503 expands the definition of a government body to include certain instrumentalities of cities, counties, or townships. The fiscal impact of this bill cannot be determined but is anticipated to be minimal. Any resulting costs to the state's General Fund would be incurred by the Judicial Branch, the Indigent Defense Fund, and the Department of Corrections.4
Read the fiscal note
Description
Senate File 503 expands the definition of “government body” in Iowa Code chapter 22 (Open Records) to include an instrumentality of a county, city, or township, and establishes a definition of “instrumentality.”
Background
The definition of “government body” is used by reference in Iowa Code chapter 23 (Public Access to Government Information), Iowa Code section 543E.5 (Real Estate Appraisal Management Companies — Exemptions), Iowa Code chapter 618 (Publication and Posting of Notices), and Iowa Code section 721.1 (Official Misconduct — Felonious Misconduct in Office). Pursuant to Iowa Code section 721.1, any public officer or employee who knowingly does any of the following commits a Class D felony:
- Makes or gives any false entry, false return, false certificate, or false receipt, where such entries, returns, certificates, or receipts are authorized by law.
- Falsifies any public record or issues any document falsely purporting to be a public document.
- 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. A Class D felony is punishable by confinement for not more than five years and a fine of at least $1,025 but not more than $10,245.
In FY 2025, there were two convictions involving two offenders under Iowa Code section 721.1.
Assumptions
- The following will not change over the projection period: charge, conviction, and sentencing patterns and trends; prisoner length of stay (LOS); revocation rates; plea bargaining; and other criminal justice system policies and practices.
- County jail data is unavailable. For purposes of this analysis, the marginal cost for county jails is assumed to be $50 per day.
- Conviction data reflects the total number of convictions in adult court, which may include multiple convictions per individual. Not all convictions lead to incarceration, and there may be a delay between conviction and prison admission, which can contribute to differences in totals.
- A six-month delay is assumed from the effective date of the Bill to the date the first offender will enter the correctional system.
- Offender-based convictions are a count of individuals convicted of the same offense. Each offender is counted only once per Iowa Code section, regardless of the number of individual convictions.
- Admissions are a count of individuals newly admitted to the Department of Corrections (DOC) for supervision during a selected time period, based on the most serious offense committed.
Correctional Impact
Senate File 503 increases the scope of an existing felony by expanding the definition of “government body,” and the correctional impact cannot be determined because the number of additional convictions cannot be estimated. Figure 1 shows estimates for sentencing to State prison, parole, probation, or Community-Based Corrections (CBC) residential facilities; LOS in months under those supervisions; and supervision marginal costs per day for a Class D felony. Figure 1 — Sentencing Estimates and LOS in Months
Conviction Offense Class
Percent
Ordered to
State
Prison
FY 2025 Avg
LOS in
Prison (All Releases)
Marginal
Cost Per
Day
Prison
Percent
Ordered to
Probation
FY 2025
Field Avg
LOS on
Probation
Avg Cost
Per Day
Probation
Marginal
Cost Per
Day CBC
Marginal
Cost Per
Day Jail
FY 2025
Field Avg
LOS on
Parole
Marginal
Cost Per
Day Parole
D Felony Non-Persons 84.2% 12.5 $23.07 69.4% 41.4 $8.00 $16.35 $50.00 15.5 $8.00 Refer to the Legislative Services Agency (LSA) memo addressed to the General Assembly, Cost Estimates Used for Correctional Impact Statements, dated January 12, 2026, for information related to the correctional system.
Minority Impact
The minority impact cannot be determined since it is not known how many additional convictions would result from the changes under Senate File 503. Refer to the LSA memo addressed to the General Assembly, Minority Impact Statements, dated January 12, 2026, for information related to minorities in the criminal justice system.
Fiscal Impact
The fiscal impact of Senate File 503 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 Branch, the Indigent Defense Fund, and the DOC. The costs would be incurred across multiple fiscal years for prison and parole supervision.
Sources
- Division of Data, Planning, and Improvement (DPI), Department of Management (DOM)
- Department of Corrections
- Public Records, Government Bodies · March 4, 2026 · $18,100
- Public Records, Government Bodies · March 4, 2026 · $18,100
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91st General Assembly