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SF388 • 2026

A bill for an act relating to public notice requirements for meetings of a governmental body.(Formerly SSB 1087 .)

A bill for an act relating to public notice requirements for meetings of a governmental body.(Formerly SSB 1087 .)

Passed Legislature

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

Sponsor
COMMITTEE ON STATE GOVERNMENT
Last action
2025-06-16
Official status
Referred to State Government. S.J. 1057 .
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 relating to public notice requirements for meetings of a governmental body.(Formerly SSB 1087 .)

A bill for an act relating to public notice requirements for meetings of a governmental body.(Formerly SSB 1087 .)

What This Bill Does

  • A bill for an act relating to public notice requirements for meetings of a governmental body.(Formerly SSB 1087 .)

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. 2025-06-16 Iowa Legislature

    Referred to State Government. S.J. 1057 .

  2. 2025-04-03 Iowa Legislature

    Placed on calendar under unfinished business. S.J. 689 .

  3. 2025-03-05 Iowa Legislature

    Attached to HF 259 . S.J. 414 .

  4. 2025-02-20 Iowa Legislature

    Committee report, approving bill. S.J. 333 .

  5. 2025-02-20 Iowa Legislature

    Introduced, placed on calendar. S.J. 321 .

Official Summary Text

A bill for an act relating to public notice requirements for meetings of a governmental body.(Formerly SSB 1087 .)

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
Senate

File

388

-

Introduced

SENATE

FILE

388

BY

COMMITTEE

ON

STATE

GOVERNMENT

(SUCCESSOR

TO

SSB

1087)

(COMPANION

TO

HF

259

BY

COMMITTEE

ON

STATE

GOVERNMENT)

A

BILL

FOR

An

Act

relating

to

public

notice

requirements

for

meetings

of

a

1

governmental

body.

2

BE

IT

ENACTED

BY

THE

GENERAL

ASSEMBLY

OF

THE

STATE

OF

IOWA:

3

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388

Section

1.

Section

21.4,

subsection

1,

paragraph

a,

Code

1

2025,

is

amended

to

read

as

follows:

2

a.

Except

as

provided

in

subsection

3

,

a

governmental

body

3

shall

give

notice

of

the

time,

date,

and

place

of

each

meeting

,

4

including

a

reconvened

meeting

of

the

governmental

body,

and

5

the

tentative

agenda

of

the

meeting,

in

a

manner

reasonably

6

calculated

to

apprise

the

public

of

that

information.

7

Reasonable

8

(1)

Giving

notice

under

this

paragraph

shall

include

9

advising

all

of

the

following:

10

(a)

Advising

the

news

media

who

have

filed

a

request

for

11

notice

with

the

governmental

body

and

posting

.

12

(b)

Posting

the

notice

on

a

bulletin

board

or

other

in

a

13

prominent

and

conspicuous

place

which

is

easily

accessible

14

to

the

public

and

clearly

designated

for

that

purpose

at

the

15

principal

office

of

the

body

holding

the

meeting,

or

if

no

such

16

office

exists,

at

the

building

in

which

the

meeting

is

to

be

17

held

annually

designated

for

such

purposes

by

the

governmental

18

body,

in

a

manner

such

that

the

notice

is

visible

at

all

times

.

19

(c)

Posting

the

notice

on

any

internet

site

owned

or

20

maintained

and

regularly

updated

by

the

governmental

body

or

21

other

internet

presence

moderated

by

the

governmental

body,

if

22

applicable.

23

(2)

If

a

tentative

agenda

has

been

posted

and

is

amended

24

within

the

time

frame

established

in

subsection

2,

paragraph

25

“a”

,

the

governmental

body

shall

mark

the

agenda

“AMENDED”

26

and

identify

the

amended

provisions.

Upon

amendment,

the

27

governmental

body

shall

give

notice

in

accordance

with

28

subparagraph

(1).

29

Sec.

2.

Section

21.4,

subsection

2,

paragraph

a,

Code

2025,

30

is

amended

to

read

as

follows:

31

a.

Except

as

otherwise

provided

in

paragraph

“c”

,

notice

32

conforming

with

all

of

the

requirements

of

subsection

1

shall

33

be

given

at

least

twenty-four

hours

prior

to

the

commencement

34

or

cancellation

of

any

meeting

of

a

governmental

body

unless

35

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for

good

cause

such

notice

is

impossible

or

impractical,

in

1

which

case

as

much

notice

as

is

reasonably

possible

shall

be

2

given.

3

EXPLANATION

4

The

inclusion

of

this

explanation

does

not

constitute

agreement

with

5

the

explanation’s

substance

by

the

members

of

the

general

assembly.

6

This

bill

relates

to

public

notice

requirements

for

meetings

7

of

a

governmental

body.

The

bill

requires

the

act

of

giving

8

notice

of

a

meeting

of

a

governmental

body

to

include

(1)

9

advising

the

news

media

who

have

filed

a

request

for

notice

10

with

the

governmental

body

as

provided

under

current

law,

(2)

11

posting

the

notice

in

a

prominent

and

conspicuous

place

that

12

is

designated

annually

by

the

governmental

body,

in

a

manner

13

such

that

the

notice

is

visible

at

all

times,

and

(3)

posting

14

the

notice

on

any

associated

internet

site

as

specified

in

the

15

bill.

If

a

tentative

agenda

has

been

posted

and

is

amended,

16

the

amended

agenda

shall

be

marked

“AMENDED”,

the

amended

17

provisions

identified,

and

a

new

notice

provided.

18

The

bill

requires

a

governmental

body

to

provide

notice

if

19

a

meeting

is

canceled.

The

notice

must

be

given

at

least

24

20

hours

prior

to

the

start

of

the

meeting

or,

for

good

cause

21

shown,

as

soon

as

reasonably

possible.

22

By

operation

of

law,

notice

for

electronic

meetings

23

of

governmental

bodies

as

provided

in

Code

section

21.8

24

(electronic

meetings)

shall

comply

with

the

notice

requirements

25

in

Code

section

21.4

(public

notice).

In

addition,

the

bill

26

applies

to

notices

for

public

appointment

and

employment

under

27

Code

section

35C.1

(veterans

preference

——

appointments

and

28

employment

——

applications)

and

notices

for

whole

grade

sharing

29

agreements

under

Code

section

282.11

(procedure

for

whole

grade

30

sharing

agreements).

31

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