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Read. Follow. Verify.Iowa Senate File 2131 authorizes radio station websites for official public notices and updates publication rules
Last action · February 17, 2026: Subcommittee recommends passage.Sponsor: Dave Rowley
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What This Bill Would Do
Senate File 2131 allows local governmental entities to satisfy public notice requirements by publishing notices on a local radio station's internet site and a statewide public notice site when no qualifying local newspaper exists. The bill sets radio posting fees between $10 and $25 and makes conforming publication amendments across numerous sections of the Iowa Code.
Local governments, school districts, and counties gain alternative channels for publishing legal notices, and radio station operators gain fee parameters for hosting official public notices.
- Iowa law mandates that local governments and political subdivisions publish official notices, such as budget hearings, ordinance summaries, and election announcements, in designated newspapers of general circulation. context
- Senate File 2131 was introduced in the 2026 legislative session by Senator Rowley in the upper house. context
Who It Would Affect
Groups the bill's text would affect if enacted, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
Local governmental entities
Local governments gain an additional approved method for fulfilling statutory public notice requirements when local newspapers are absent.
Radio station operators
Radio broadcasters with internet sites are authorized to host official public notices and must charge fees within the statutorily mandated range of $10 to $25.
Key Facts
- Local governmental entities lacking a qualifying local newspaper may satisfy public notice requirements using a local radio station's internet site and a statewide public notice internet site.
- Radio station internet site operators must charge between $10 and $25 for posting an official publication.
- Radio stations and newspapers are prohibited from charging government bodies a fee for proof of publication of a public notice.
- The bill amends numerous sections of the Iowa Code spanning chapters 6B, 24, 26A, 28A, 37, 49, 69, 73A, 74A, 75, 80, 137, 145A, 161A, 173, 174, 182, 257, 260C, 261A, 273, 275, 279, 303, 306, 309, 321, 330, 330A, 331, 341A, 346, 347, 349, 352, 357A, 357B, 358, 359, 362, 364, 368, 373, 384, 403, 403A, 419, 422D, 423A, 423B, 423F, 441, 446, 447, 455B, 459, 465C, 468, 533, 556, and 618 to conform publication references.
Frequently Asked Questions
When can a local government use a radio station website for public notices?
How much can a radio station charge for posting an official public notice?
What else do you want to know?
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
Currently in committee. The next step in the legislative lifecycle is Floor Vote.
Procedural history
4 actions- Feb 17, 2026Iowa LegislatureSubcommittee recommends passage.
- Feb 16, 2026SenateSubcommittee Meeting: 02/17/2026 3:00PM Senate Lounge.
- Jan 29, 2026SenateSubcommittee: Webster, Koelker, and Townsend. S.J. 171 .
- Jan 27, 2026SenateIntroducedIntroduced, referred to State Government. S.J. 146 .
Version history
Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.
View official text →Lobbying Activity
No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.
Full breakdown
Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Sponsors
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Expansion of Public Notice Media
The bill broadens the legal definition of where public notices may appear beyond traditional print newspapers to include radio station websites and statewide internet portals.
Connected Entities
Sources
www.legis.iowa.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance55How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy10Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment5Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz20Current news / social attention level
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