This bill amends the definition of "government body" in Iowa's open records law (Code chapter 22) to include an "instrumentality of a city or township." This change subjects such instrumentalities to the same open records requirements and civil penalties that apply to other government bodies. The bill also clarifies that these instrumentalities will be included in various related provisions, such as public access to government information and the publication of notices.

Additionally, the bill reinforces the penalties for public officers or employees who falsify documents that become public records. Specifically, under Code section 721.1, knowingly falsifying a writing with the intent that it will be a public record constitutes a class D felony, which carries a potential prison sentence of up to five years and fines ranging from $1,025 to $10,245.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 22.1