This bill amends Iowa's public records law to enhance the process for handling requests for public records. It specifies that the lawful custodian of the records or their authorized designee must acknowledge requests promptly, provide contact information, and give an approximate date for when the requester can expect a response or an estimate of any associated costs. Additionally, the custodian is required to inform the requester of any anticipated delays in fulfilling the request.

The bill also clarifies that while the custodian may charge reasonable expenses for fulfilling requests, they should strive to provide records at no cost if the production time is under thirty minutes. Furthermore, it establishes that any expenses must be communicated to the requester in accordance with section 22.4, subsection 3, and allows individuals to contest the reasonableness of these expenses. Overall, the amendments aim to streamline the public records request process and improve transparency and communication between custodians and requesters.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 22.3, 22.4