Read the full stored bill text
STATE OF IOWA
KIM REYNOLDS
GOVERNOR
May 15, 2026
The Honorable Paul Pate
Secretary of State of Iowa
State Capitol
Des Moines, Iowa 50319
Dear Mr. Secretary,
I hereby transmit:
House File 2490, an Act relating to public meetings and records, including public notice
requirements for meetings of a governmental body, supervision and fees associated with
examining and copying public records, employment separation information for certain
government employees, contractors, or appointees, and injunctions to restrain vexatious
requesters.
The above House File is hereby approved on this date.
Smcerely
Kim Reynolds
Governor of Iowa
cc: Secretary of the Senate
Clerk of the House
STATE CAPITOL DES MOINES, IOWA 50319 515.281.5211 WWW.GOVERNOR.IOWA.GOV
UAWTAJ luiuuiiMuimuui liiu
!HI
GENERAL ASSLMBIAiitiiiiiHiiiiiimiiiiiiiiimiiiiimniimimiiimmtimiiiiiiiiuimiiiiaiiiiinsmmiiiiiiitiiiiiHisKiiiiHiiHiiitimitimisjssnimiiiitiiiiHimiisiminimmimiitiDKSH;
House Pile 2490
AN ACT
RELATING TO PUBLIC MEETINGS AND RECORDS, INCLUDING PUBLIC
NOTICE REQUIREMENTS FOR MEETINGS OF A GOVERNMENTAL BODY,
SUPERVISION AND FEES ASSOCIATED WITH EXAMINING AND COPYING
PUBLIC RECORDS, EMPLOYMENT SEPARATION INFORMATION FOR
CERTAIN GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES, CONTRACTORS, OR APPOINTEES,
AND INJUNCTIONS TO RESTRAIN VEXATIOUS REQUESTERS.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
Section 1. Section 21.4, subsection 1, paragraph a. Code
2026, is amended to read as follows:
a. Except as provided in subsection 3, a governmental body
shall give notice of the time, date, and place of each meeting,
including a reconvened meeting of the governmental body, and
the tentative agenda of the meeting, in a manner reasonably
calculated to apprise the public of that information.
Reasonable
(1) Giving notice under this paragraph shall include
advising all of the following:
(a) Advising the news media who have filed a request for
notice with the governmental body and posting.
House File 2490, p. 2
(b) Posting the notice on a bulletin board or other in a
prominent and conspicuous place which is easily accessible
to the public and clearly doaignatGd for that purpose at the
principal of-f-lce of the body holding the meeting,—or—i-f no such
office exists, at the building in which the meeting is to be
held annually designated for such purposes by the governmental
body, in a manner such that the notice is visible at all times.
(c) Posting the notice on the primary internet site owned or
maintained and regularly updated by the governmental body or
other primary internet presence moderated by the governmental
body, if applicable.
(2) If a tentative agenda has been posted and is amended
within the time frame established in subsection 2, paragraph
the governmental body shall mark the agenda '^AMENDED^'
and identify the amended provisions. Upon amendment, the
governmental body shall give notice in accordance with
subparagraph (1),
Sec. 2. Section 22.3, Code 2026, is amended to read as
follows:
22.3 Supervision — fees.
1. The examination and copying of public records shall
be done under the supervision of the lawful custodian of the
records or the lawful custodian's authorized designee.
b. The lawful custodian shall not require the physical
presence of a person requesting or receiving a copy of a public
record and shall fulfill requests for a copy of a public record
received in writing, by telephone, or by electronic means.
Although fulfillment
2. a. Fulfillment of a request for a copy of a public
record may be contingent upon receipt of payment of reasonable
expenses, the. The lawful custodian shall make every
reasonable effort to provide the public record requested at no
cost other than copying costs for a record which takes less
than thirty minutes to produce.
b. In the event expenses are necessary, such expenses shall
must be reasonable and shall be communicated to the requester
upon receipt of the request.
c, A person may contest the reasonableness of the lawful
custodian's expenses as provided for in this chapter.
House File 2490r p* 3
3. The lawful custodian may adopt and enforce reasonable
rules regarding the examination and copying of the public
records and the protection of the records against damage or
disorganization.
4. The lawful custodian shall provide a suitable place
location for the examination and copying of the public recordsr
but if it is impracticable to do the examination and copying of
the records in the office of the lawful custodian, the person
desiring to examine or copy shall pay any necessary expenses of
providing a place for the examination and copying.
5-s—All reaaonablo GxponoGS of the examination and copying
shall be paid by the poraon desiring to examine or copy.
5. a. The lawful custodian may charge a reasonable fee
for the services of the lawful custodian or the custodian's
authorized designee in supervising the examination and
copying of the public records. All reasonable expenses of the
examination and copying shall be paid by the person desiring to
examine or copy the public record.
b. If copy equipment is available at the office of the
lawful custodian of any public records, the lawful custodian
shall provide any person a reasonable number of copies of any
public record in the custody of the office upon the payment of
a fee. The fee for the copying service as determined by the
lawful custodian shall not exceed the actual cost of providing
the service. Actual costs shall include only those reasonable
expenses directly attributable to supervising the examination
of and making and providing copies of public records. Actual
costs shall not include charges for ordinary expenses or
costs such as employment benefits, depreciation, maintenance,
electricity, or insurance associated with the administration of
the office of the lawful custodian.
c. Costs for legal services should only be utilized for
the redaction or review of legally protected confidential
information. However,—a
^ A county recorder shall not charge a fee for the
examination and copying of public records necessary to complete
and file claims for benefits with the Iowa department of
veterans affairs or the United States department of veterans
affairs.
House File 2490, p. 4
Sec. 3. Section 22.7, subsection 11, paragraph a. Code 2026,
is amended by adding the following new subparagraphs:
NEW SUBPARAGRAPH, (6) The last date the individual,
who resigned from or was discharged by the government body,
performed work or actively carried out essential functions
of the position, regardless of whether the information is
contained in a written document, contract, agreement, or
arrangement.
NEW SUBPARAGRAPH, (7) The amount of moneys and public
benefits provided to the individual for any continuation of
pay, severance, or other compensation or benefits in excess of
the amounts owed for work performed by the individual prior
to the individual's last day as an employee, contractor, or
appointee for the government body, regardless of whether the
information is contained in a written document, contract,
agreement, or arrangement.
Sec. 4. NEW SECTION. 22.8A Injunction to restrain vexatious
requester.
1. The district court may grant an injunction restraining
the right of a person found to be a vexatious requester to
examine public records under section 22.2 from a specific
government body, or may impose reasonable limitations on the
manner, frequency, or scope of such requests. A hearing shall
be held on a request for injunction after reasonable notice, as
determined by the court, is given to the person alleged to be a
vexatious requester. The government body seeking an injunction
shall ensure compliance with the notice requirement. Such an
injunction may be issued only if the petition supported by
affidavit shows, and if the court finds, all of the following:
a. The requests, considered in totality, would clearly not
be in the public interest.
b. The requests, considered in totality, constitute a
pattern of vexatious conduct.
c. The continuation of such requests would substantially and
irreparably injure the government body's ability to perform the
government body's duties or functions.
d. Less restrictive measures under this chapter are
inadequate to provide sufficient relief.
2. In an action brought under this section, the court shall
House File 2490r p. 5
take into account the policy of this chapter that free and
open examination of public records is generally in the public
interest even though such requests may cause inconvenience or
embarrassment to public officials or others. A court may issue
an injunction under this section only if the government body
seeking the injunction demonstrates by clear and convincing
evidence that this section authorizes the issuance of the
injunction.
3. In determining whether conduct constitutes vexatious
conduct under this section, the court may consider any of the
following;
a. The number, frequency, timing, scope, and content of
public requests.
b. The nature of oral and written communications related to
the public requests.
c. Any prior administrative or judicial findings regarding
the conduct of the requester.
d. All other relevant circumstances.
4. For purposes of this section:
a, "^News media^ includes any person who regularly gathers,
prepares, photographs, records, writes, edits, reports, or
publishes news for monetary consideration,
b, (1) ^Vexatious conduct" means a pattern of public
records requests that satisfies one or more of the following;
(a) The requests are designed primarily to harass the
government body, its officers, or its employees.
(b) The government body shows by clear and convincing
evidence that the requests impose an unreasonable burden on the
government body and compliance would substantially interfere
with essential governmental operations.
(c) The requests are submitted in a manner or accompanied by
communication that constitute harassment of public officers or
employees as provided in section 718.4.
(2) '^Vexatious conduct" does not include solely a large
volume of requests made by a person or a representative of the
news media.
5. Upon finding by a preponderance of the evidence that the
requester has not engaged in a pattern of vexatious conduct,
a court shall order the payment of all costs and reasonable
House File 2A90, p. 6
attorney fees, including appellate attorney fees, to the
requester by the government body in the action brought under
this section.
PAT GRASSLEY
Speaker of tne House
AMY SINCLA^lR
President of the Senate
I hereby certify that this bill originated in the House and
is known as House File 2490, Ninety-first General Assembly.
Approved IS*-2026
/]MEGHAN NELSON
the House
KIM RHYIJOLDS
Governor