This bill amends Iowa's public records law to clarify the roles and responsibilities of lawful custodians regarding public records. It introduces definitions for "original government body," which refers to the entity that created or has primary responsibility for a public record, and "secondary lawful custodian," which is a custodian in physical possession of a record provided by the original government body. The bill allows secondary lawful custodians to defer decisions on public records requests to the original government body, requiring them to notify the requester of this deferral and the identity of the original body.

Additionally, the bill stipulates that secondary lawful custodians are not liable for damages or attorney fees if they act in reasonable reliance on the original government body's determinations regarding public records requests. This provision aims to protect secondary custodians from legal repercussions when they defer to the original body for guidance on whether a record is confidential or subject to disclosure. Overall, the bill seeks to streamline the process of handling public records requests while ensuring that custodians are protected when acting in good faith.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 22.1, 22.3, 22.8