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HF651 • 2026

A bill for an act concerning local government notice requirements on certain actions.(Formerly HSB 154 .)

A bill for an act concerning local government notice requirements on certain actions.(Formerly HSB 154 .)

Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor
COMMITTEE ON LOCAL GOVERNMENT
Last action
2025-04-08
Official status
Withdrawn. H.J. 917 .
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

A bill for an act concerning local government notice requirements on certain actions.(Formerly HSB 154 .)

A bill for an act concerning local government notice requirements on certain actions.(Formerly HSB 154 .)

What This Bill Does

  • A bill for an act concerning local government notice requirements on certain actions.(Formerly HSB 154 .)

Limits and Unknowns

  • This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Bill History

  1. 2025-04-08 Iowa Legislature

    Withdrawn. H.J. 917 .

  2. 2025-04-08 Iowa Legislature

    SF 588 substituted. H.J. 907 .

  3. 2025-04-08 Iowa Legislature

    Amendment H-1045 out of order. H.J. 907 .

  4. 2025-04-08 Iowa Legislature

    Amendment H-1213 adopted. H.J. 907 .

  5. 2025-04-03 Iowa Legislature

    Placed on calendar under unfinished business. H.J. 894 .

  6. 2025-03-27 Iowa Legislature

    Amendment H-1213 filed. H.J. 870 .

  7. 2025-03-10 Iowa Legislature

    Amendment H-1045 filed. H.J. 591 .

  8. 2025-02-28 Iowa Legislature

    Introduced, placed on calendar. H.J. 473 .

Official Summary Text

A bill for an act concerning local government notice requirements on certain actions.(Formerly HSB 154 .)

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
House

File

651

-

Introduced

HOUSE

FILE

651

BY

COMMITTEE

ON

LOCAL

GOVERNMENT

(SUCCESSOR

TO

HSB

154)

A

BILL

FOR

An

Act

concerning

local

government

notice

requirements

on

1

certain

actions.

2

BE

IT

ENACTED

BY

THE

GENERAL

ASSEMBLY

OF

THE

STATE

OF

IOWA:

3

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651

Section

1.

Section

103A.12,

subsection

2,

Code

2025,

is

1

amended

to

read

as

follows:

2

2.

A

governmental

subdivision

in

which

the

state

building

3

code

is

applicable

may

by

ordinance,

at

any

time

after

one

4

year

has

elapsed

since

the

code

became

applicable,

withdraw

5

from

the

application

of

the

code.

The

local

governing

body

6

shall

hold

a

public

hearing,

after

giving

not

less

than

four

7

but

not

more

than

twenty

days’

public

notice,

together

with

8

written

notice

to

the

commissioner

of

the

time,

place,

and

9

purpose

of

the

hearing

provided

in

a

manner

consistent

with

10

section

362.3

,

before

the

ordinance

to

withdraw

is

voted

upon.

11

A

certified

copy

of

the

vote

of

the

local

governing

body

shall

12

be

transmitted

within

ten

days

after

the

vote

is

taken

to

the

13

commissioner.

The

ordinance

becomes

effective

at

a

time

to

14

be

specified

in

the

ordinance,

which

must

be

not

less

than

15

one

hundred

eighty

days

after

the

date

of

adoption.

Upon

16

the

effective

date

of

the

ordinance,

the

state

building

code

17

ceases

to

apply

to

the

governmental

subdivision

except

that

18

construction

of

a

building

or

structure

pursuant

to

a

permit

19

previously

issued

is

not

affected

by

the

withdrawal.

20

Sec.

2.

Section

368.3,

subsection

2,

Code

2025,

is

amended

21

to

read

as

follows:

22

2.

A

city

may

also

be

discontinued

in

accordance

with

the

23

following

procedures.

The

council

shall

adopt

a

resolution

24

of

intent

to

discontinue

and

shall

call

a

public

hearing

on

25

the

proposal

to

discontinue.

Notice

of

the

time

and

place

of

26

the

public

hearing

and

the

proposed

action

shall

be

published

27

as

provided

in

section

362.3

,

except

that

at

least

ten

days’

28

notice

must

be

given

.

At

the

public

hearing,

the

council

shall

29

receive

oral

and

written

comments

regarding

the

proposal

from

30

any

person.

Thereafter,

the

council,

at

the

same

meeting

or

at

31

a

subsequent

meeting,

may

pass

a

resolution

of

discontinuance

32

or

pass

a

resolution

abandoning

the

proposal.

If

the

council

33

passes

a

resolution

of

discontinuance,

a

petition

may

be

filed

34

with

the

clerk

in

the

manner

provided

in

section

362.4

,

within

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thirty

days

following

the

effective

date

of

the

resolution,

1

requesting

that

the

question

of

discontinuance

be

submitted

2

to

the

registered

voters

of

the

city.

Upon

receipt

of

a

3

petition

requesting

an

election,

the

council

shall

direct

the

4

county

commissioner

of

elections

to

call

a

special

election

5

on

the

question

of

discontinuance

or

shall

adopt

a

resolution

6

abandoning

the

discontinuance.

Notice

of

the

election

shall

7

be

given

by

publication

as

required

in

section

49.53

.

If

a

8

majority

of

those

voting

approve

the

discontinuance

or

if

no

9

petition

for

an

election

is

filed,

the

clerk

shall

send

a

copy

10

of

the

resolution

of

discontinuance

and,

if

an

election

is

11

held,

the

results

of

the

election

to

the

board.

The

board

12

shall

take

control

of

the

property

of

the

discontinued

city

13

and

shall

supervise

procedures

necessary

to

carry

out

the

14

discontinuance

in

accordance

with

section

368.21

.

15

Sec.

3.

Section

372.4,

subsection

4,

Code

2025,

is

amended

16

to

read

as

follows:

17

4.

In

a

city

having

a

population

of

less

than

five

hundred,

18

the

city

council

may

adopt

a

resolution

of

intent

to

reduce

the

19

number

of

council

members

from

five

to

three

and

shall

call

a

20

public

hearing

on

the

proposal.

Notice

of

the

time

and

place

21

of

the

public

hearing

shall

be

published

as

provided

in

section

22

362.3

,

except

that

at

least

ten

days’

notice

must

be

given

.

At

23

the

public

hearing,

the

council

shall

receive

oral

and

written

24

comments

regarding

the

proposal

from

any

person.

Thereafter,

25

the

council,

at

the

same

meeting

as

the

public

hearing

or

at

26

a

subsequent

meeting,

may

adopt

a

final

resolution

to

reduce

27

the

number

of

council

members

from

five

to

three

or

may

adopt

28

a

resolution

abandoning

the

proposal.

If

the

council

adopts

29

a

final

resolution

to

reduce

the

number

of

council

members

30

from

five

to

three,

a

petition

meeting

the

same

requirements

31

specified

in

section

362.4

for

petitions

authorized

by

city

32

code

may

be

filed

with

the

clerk

within

thirty

days

following

33

the

effective

date

of

the

final

resolution,

requesting

that

34

the

question

of

reducing

the

number

of

council

members

from

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five

to

three

be

submitted

to

the

registered

voters

of

the

1

city.

Upon

receipt

of

a

petition

requesting

an

election,

the

2

council

shall

direct

the

county

commissioner

of

elections

3

to

put

the

proposal

on

the

ballot

for

the

next

regular

city

4

election.

If

the

ballot

proposal

is

adopted,

the

new

council

5

shall

be

elected

at

the

next

following

regular

city

election.

6

If

a

petition

is

not

filed,

the

council

shall

notify

the

7

county

commissioner

of

elections

by

July

1

of

the

year

of

the

8

regular

city

election

and

the

new

council

shall

be

elected

9

at

that

regular

city

election.

If

the

council

notifies

the

10

commissioner

of

elections

after

July

1

of

the

year

of

the

11

regular

city

election,

the

change

shall

take

effect

at

the

next

12

following

regular

city

election.

The

council

shall

determine

13

by

ordinance

whether

the

three

council

members

are

elected

at

14

large

or

by

ward.

15

Sec.

4.

Section

384.16,

subsection

3,

Code

2025,

is

amended

16

to

read

as

follows:

17

3.

Following,

and

not

until,

completion

of

requirements

18

of

section

24.2A

are

completed

,

the

council

shall

set

a

time

19

and

place

for

public

hearing

on

the

budget

before

the

final

20

certification

date

and

shall

publish

notice

of

the

hearing

21

not

less

than

ten

nor

more

than

twenty

days

before

the

22

hearing

pursuant

to

section

362.3

in

a

newspaper

published

23

at

least

once

weekly

and

having

general

circulation

in

the

24

city.

However,

if

the

city

has

a

population

of

two

hundred

25

or

less,

publication

may

be

made

by

posting

in

three

public

26

places

in

the

city.

A

summary

of

the

proposed

budget

and

a

27

description

of

the

procedure

for

protesting

the

city

budget

28

under

section

384.19

,

in

the

form

prescribed

by

the

director

of

29

the

department

of

management,

shall

be

included

in

the

notice.

30

Proof

of

publication

of

the

notice

under

this

subsection

3

31

must

be

filed

with

the

county

auditor.

The

department

of

32

management

shall

prescribe

the

form

for

the

public

hearing

33

notice

for

use

by

cities.

34

Sec.

5.

Section

384.50,

subsection

1,

Code

2025,

is

amended

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to

read

as

follows:

1

1.

The

clerk

shall

publish

notice

of

the

date,

time,

and

2

place

of

the

hearing

once

each

week

for

two

consecutive

weeks

3

in

the

manner

provided

by

section

362.3

,

the

first

publication

4

of

which

shall

be

not

less

than

ten

days

before

the

date

of

the

5

hearing

.

6

Sec.

6.

Section

400.1,

subsection

1,

Code

2025,

is

amended

7

to

read

as

follows:

8

1.

In

cities

having

a

population

of

eight

thousand

or

over

9

and

having

a

paid

fire

department

or

a

paid

police

department,

10

the

mayor,

one

year

after

a

regular

city

election,

with

the

11

approval

of

the

council,

shall

appoint

three

civil

service

12

commissioners.

The

mayor

city

shall

publish

notice

of

the

13

names

of

persons

selected

for

appointment

no

less

than

thirty

14

days

prior

to

a

vote

by

the

city

council

pursuant

to

section

15

362.3

.

Commissioners

shall

hold

office,

one

until

the

first

16

Monday

in

April

of

the

second

year,

one

until

the

first

Monday

17

in

April

of

the

third

year,

and

one

until

the

first

Monday

18

in

April

of

the

fourth

year

after

such

appointment,

whose

19

successors

shall

be

appointed

for

a

term

of

four

years.

In

20

cities

having

a

population

of

more

than

seventy

thousand,

the

21

city

council

may

establish,

by

ordinance,

the

number

of

civil

22

service

commissioners

at

not

less

than

three.

23

Sec.

7.

Section

404.2,

subsection

6,

Code

2025,

is

amended

24

to

read

as

follows:

25

6.

The

city

or

county

has

adopted

the

proposed

or

amended

26

plan

for

the

revitalization

area

after

the

requisite

number

27

of

hearings.

The

city

or

county

may

subsequently

amend

this

28

plan

after

a

hearing.

Notice

of

the

hearing

shall

be

published

29

as

provided

in

section

362.3

or

331.305

,

except

that

at

30

least

seven

days’

notice

must

be

given

and

the

public

hearing

31

shall

not

be

held

earlier

than

the

next

regularly

scheduled

32

city

council

or

board

of

supervisors

meeting

following

the

33

published

notice

.

A

city

which

that

has

adopted

a

plan

for

34

a

revitalization

area

which

that

covers

all

property

within

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651

the

city

limits

may

amend

that

plan

at

any

time,

pursuant

to

1

this

section

,

to

include

property

which

that

has

been

or

will

2

be

annexed

to

the

city.

The

provisions

of

the

original

plan

3

shall

be

applicable

to

the

property

which

that

is

annexed

and

4

the

property

shall

be

considered

to

have

been

part

of

the

5

revitalization

area

as

of

the

effective

date

of

its

annexation

6

to

the

city.

7

Sec.

8.

Section

414.4,

Code

2025,

is

amended

to

read

as

8

follows:

9

414.4

Zoning

regulations,

district

boundaries,

amendments.

10

The

council

of

the

city

shall

provide

for

the

manner

in

11

which

the

regulations

and

restrictions

and

the

boundaries

of

12

the

districts

shall

be

determined,

established,

and

enforced,

13

and

from

time

to

time

amended,

supplemented,

or

changed.

14

However,

the

regulation,

restriction,

or

boundary

shall

not

15

become

effective

until

after

a

public

hearing

at

which

parties

16

in

interest

and

citizens

shall

have

an

opportunity

to

be

17

heard.

The

notice

of

the

time

and

place

of

the

hearing

shall

18

be

published

as

provided

in

section

362.3

,

except

that

at

19

least

seven

days’

notice

must

be

given

and

in

no

case

shall

20

the

public

hearing

be

held

earlier

than

the

next

regularly

21

scheduled

city

council

meeting

following

the

published

notice

.

22

EXPLANATION

23

The

inclusion

of

this

explanation

does

not

constitute

agreement

with

24

the

explanation’s

substance

by

the

members

of

the

general

assembly.

25

Under

current

law,

notice

requirements

for

local

governments

26

vary

as

follows:

state

building

codes

adopted

by

ordinance

and

27

later

repealed

require

a

public

hearing

after

giving

not

less

28

than

4

but

not

more

than

20

days’

notice;

a

city

resolution

of

29

intent

to

discontinue

requires

a

public

hearing

on

the

proposal

30

to

discontinue

the

city

with

at

least

10

days’

notice;

a

city

31

resolution

to

reduce

the

number

of

council

members

from

five

to

32

three

requires

a

public

hearing

on

the

proposal

with

at

least

33

10

days’

notice;

city

council

budget

certifications

require

a

34

public

hearing

with

not

less

than

10

nor

more

than

20

days’

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651

notice;

city

resolutions

of

necessity

for

public

improvements

1

require

a

public

hearing

with

not

less

than

10

days’

notice

to

2

the

property

owners

subject

to

the

special

assessment;

city

3

appointments

of

civil

service

commissioners

require

published

4

notice

of

the

proposed

appointments

for

no

less

than

30

days

5

prior

to

a

vote

by

the

city

council;

amendments

to

city

or

6

county

revitalization

area

plans

require

a

hearing

with

at

7

least

7

days’

notice

and

the

public

hearing

shall

not

be

held

8

earlier

than

the

next

regularly

scheduled

city

council

or

board

9

of

supervisors

meeting

following

the

published

notice;

and

when

10

a

city

council

amends,

supplements,

or

changes

regulations

and

11

restrictions

or

the

boundaries

of

districts,

a

public

hearing

12

is

required

with

at

least

7

days’

notice

and

the

public

hearing

13

shall

not

be

held

earlier

than

the

next

regularly

scheduled

14

city

council

meeting

following

the

published

notice.

15

This

bill

changes

the

notice

requirements

in

accordance

16

with

Code

section

362.3

for

these

local

government

actions

as

17

follows:

the

notice

must

be

published

at

least

once,

for

a

18

period

of

not

less

than

4

nor

more

than

20

days

before

the

date

19

of

the

hearing

or

other

action;

the

publication

must

be

in

a

20

newspaper

published

at

least

once

weekly

and

having

general

21

circulation

in

the

city;

and

if

the

city

has

a

population

of

22

200

or

less,

or

if

the

city

has

no

newspaper,

the

publication

23

is

made

by

posting

in

three

public

places

in

the

city

that

have

24

been

permanently

designated

by

local

government

ordinance.

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