Open Records Policy

The Governor’s Office is committed to ensuring that the workings of state government are open to public inspection. To that end, public records in the custody of this office are maintained and archived through a standard record retention policy, with public access given in full compliance with applicable provisions of law.
The record retention program provides economy and efficiency in the creation, organization, administrative use, maintenance, security, availability and disposition of public records to ensure that valuable records are preserved, and that unnecessary records are not created or retained, as provided under Iowa law. Our office will preserve the integrity of public records and respond to all open records requests in a timely, efficient manner in full compliance with applicable provisions of law.

For record retention requirements under state law, see the bottom of this page.

Availability of a Public Record

Open records are available to the public during office hours: 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday (except holidays). Before giving access to records, Governor’s Office staff may make good-faith efforts to: verify the scope of the records request; locate the specific records requested; and determine whether any of the records, or information contained in them, are confidential in nature. Our office will make every effort to provide the public with access to public records in a prompt and efficient manner. If we discover that circumstances will delay a response, out staff will notify the requestor immediately and make alternate arrangements to provide the response in a satisfactory manner.

Confidential records may be withheld, and confidential information within an otherwise open record may be redacted prior to a record’s release for public examination and copying. If a confidential record is withheld from examination and copying, or confidential information within an otherwise open record is redacted, the Governor’s Office will identify the document(s) and cite the applicable provision of law that supports the decision to withhold the confidential information from public examination.

Requests For a Public Record

To request access to a public record, contact the governor’s legal counsel in one of these ways:

  • Write to James Larew, Governor’s Office, State Capitol, Des Moines, IA 50319
  • E-mail .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) (Put “Public Records Request” in the subject line)
  • Call James Larew at 515-281-3502

When requesting a public record, please provide your name, address, and phone number so the Governor’s Office can contact you regarding the request. When a request is made orally, the requestor will receive a letter from the Governor’s Office verifying the specific scope of the search requested. The verification letter will be sent before the request for documents is processed.

Identifying the desired record by name or description will help our office find it efficiently. Please provide the following details when requesting access to a public record:

  1. The type of record sought
  2. The start and end date of the time period to be searched
  3. The author and/or recipient of the record requested, to the extent possible
  4. The record medium to be searched (letters, memoranda, reports, recordings, etc.) Specify if the request applies to an electronic record – if so, please list the search terms to be used in the electronic search.
  5. Any other pertinent information that will assist in locating the record requested (Please note that the Governor’s Office can usually process a request for specific records more quickly than a request for all information pertaining to a particular subject.)

Before a search is conducted, the governor’s legal counsel may contact the requestor if there are questions concerning the scope of the record request.
Upon receiving a request for access to a public record, our office will promptly take all reasonable steps to preserve a public record while the request is pending.

Every public record that is gathered pursuant to a records request will be examined by legal counsel for completeness in response to the request, and to determine whether the record is confidential. Every record that is presented to the public for review will be date-stamped and attached to a letter that specifies the manner in which the records search was performed.

Questions from the public regarding the scope of a records search, or requests for an expanded search, should be submitted to the legal counsel in writing.

Fees

Fees for time spent retrieving an open record and/or supervising the public examination of an open record may be charged to the requestor in an amount equal to the actual cost of time spent providing non-incidental retrieval and/or supervisory services (for a definition, please see below), as provided under applicable law. Whenever possible, an estimate of fees will be provided to the requestor before a search is initiated.

The fee for non-incidental retrieval and/or supervisory services performed by Governor’s Office staff pursuant to a request for records that are accessible inside the Governor’s Office is typically set at $15.00 per hour. (However, the actual cost for non-incidental retrieval and/or supervisory services may vary according to the nature of the requested search.) Fees for Governor’s Office records that are accessible only with the assistance of Department of Administrative Services or state archives personnel will be based on the fee structure established by those agencies. Requestors are generally billed for fees after their request has been processed. However, if total fees are expected to exceed $250.00, the Governor’s Office may require payment in advance of processing.

Photocopies of open records located in this office will be provided at no charge for the first ten pages, and 10 cents per page for each additional page.

Definitions

“Non-incidental retrieval or supervisory services” mean services provided by Governor’s Office staff (or staff from the Department of Administrative Services and/or the state archives) to persons requesting access to public documents that exceed three (3) hours in duration.

“Public record” means a record as defined in Iowa Code Chapter 22. A public record includes both ‘confidential records’ and ‘open records.’ A ‘confidential record,’ as used in this policy, means a record that is not available as a matter of right for examination and copying by members of the public under applicable provisions of law. ‘Confidential records’ include records or information contained in records that the agency is prohibited by law from making available for examination by members of the public, and records or information contained in records that are specified as confidential by Iowa Code section 22.7, or other provision of law, including but not limited to executive privilege. An ‘open record’ as used in this policy means a record other than a confidential record.

“Records officer” means an official who possesses a broad understanding of programs and records of the Governor’s Office, and who is designated by the Governor’s Office to coordinate its records program.

Record Retention Requirements

Every record made or received under the authority of, or coming into the custody, control, or possession of Governor’s Office personnel, in connection with the transaction of official business of state government, and having sufficient legal, fiscal, administrative, or historical value, shall be retained in accordance with Iowa law. A Deputy Chief of Staff shall be designated to serve as the Governor’s Office records officer to oversee this office’s record retention program, and to serve as the primary point of contact with the state archives. This office will follow the record retention protocol that is established by the Iowa Records Retention Commission. The Governor’s Office records officer shall select retention mechanisms that are designed to implement the commission protocol, and arrange for training for Governor’s Office personnel on each selected mechanism.