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HF 1031

A bill for an act relating to county recorder fees and land record information systems management.

2025-2026 Regular Session

HF 1031 changes recording fees and creates new county funds to support technology and statewide electronic land-record services, with governance rules and privacy protections.

Fiscal note.
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Bill Summary · HF 1031

Summary — HF 1031 (Iowa Land Records, County Participation)

Status: Subcommittee recommends passage.
Introduced: April 17, 2025. Effective date (if enacted): July 1, 2025.
Passed House: April 22, 2025 (yeas 79 / nays 13). Amendment H‑1271 adopted.

Main purpose

HF 1031 revises recording fees and reorganizes how county land‑record electronic services are funded and governed. It increases per‑page recording fees, creates new county funds for technology and electronic services, eliminates and repurposes some existing funds, sets requirements for statewide electronic document access and vendor review, and amends rules on access/shielding of certain personally identifiable information and formatting requirements for recorded documents.

Key provisions

  • Fee changes

    • Increases fee per page (or fraction) from $5 to $10. Limits the maximum recording fee for any document of 25 pages or more to $250.
    • Removes the current $1 per‑transaction fee that was deposited into County Recorder’s Record Management Fund and repeals that Fund.

  • New/changed funds and allocations

    • Creates a County Recorder’s Technology Advancement Fund: $2 per recorded document is deposited into this fund; interest credited to the fund.
    • Requires county treasurers to maintain a County Recorder’s Electronic Services System (ESS) Fund: $3 per recorded document (from counties participating in the 28E agreement with the ESS) is deposited here.
    • Counties not participating in the shared statewide search website must deposit $1 per document into the County Recorder’s Electronic Transaction Fund.
    • Eliminates the State Treasurer’s Local Government Electronic Transaction Fund and transfers its remaining balance to the Treasurer of State to assist the ESS governing board.
    • Transfers any remaining balances in repealed County Recorder’s Records Management Funds into each county’s Technology Advancement Fund.

  • Governance, vendor/platform, and operational rules

    • Each county required to upload data and images (recorded documents) to the statewide search platform or provide a link; vendors/platforms must accept uploads from county recording software or link to county searches.
    • Removes prior requirement to use a specific county 28E structure; counties may enter 28E agreements with the statewide electronic services system (ESS). Counties may withdraw from the ESS 28E (subject to board approval) but must allow the flow of electronic documents from ESS.
    • The ESS governing board (amendment language) will issue an RFP in 2030 and every five years thereafter to explore alternative statewide land‑record platforms; changing platforms requires a high county participation/approval threshold (amended language sets an 80% affirmative vote of participating counties to issue certain actions).
    • ESS must provide an alternative API enabling county systems to receive, accept/decline, and ingest electronic submissions; use of the interface is at no cost to counties.

  • Records and privacy

    • Clarifies and expands information‑shielding procedures: qualified individuals may request shielded access to certain personally identifiable information; eligible professionals may be granted access (no fee) and must maintain confidentiality. Recorders/assessors must implement shielding processes at no charge.
    • Defines “page” (including size limits for plats/surveys) and adds definition for “additional parcel identifier.”

Fiscal impact (estimated)

  • Based on FY2024 activity (487,353 recorded documents; 2,147,550 pages):
    • Estimated total $10 per‑page receipts: ~$21,475,500.
    • Allocations: ~$974,706 to Technology Advancement Funds ($2 × documents); ~$1,462,059 to ESS Funds ($3 × documents).
    • Revenue reductions: cap on recording fee (max $250) reduces receipts by ~$210,190; elimination of some per‑transaction fees reduces revenue by ~$45,825.
    • Net estimated increase to county general funds: approximately $8.0 million annually beginning FY2026 (after allocations and adjustments).

Who is affected

  • County recorders, county treasurers, county boards of supervisors, and county general funds (increased general fund revenue).
  • Counties participating in or considering participation in the statewide ESS platform.
  • Iowa County Recorders Association / ESS governing board (RFP/vendor oversight responsibility).
  • Members of the public whose records are recorded or accessed (changes to information‑shielding procedures and electronic access).

Timeline & procedural notes

  • Introduced April 17, 2025; referred to Ways & Means; fiscal notes prepared April 22, 2025.
  • Amendment H‑1271 (technical, governance, and privacy clarifications) adopted April 22, 2025.
  • Subcommittee (Koelker, Petersen, Sweeney) recommended passage May 5, 2025.

This summary highlights the bill’s main changes to fees, funding flows, governance of statewide land‑record services, operational requirements for electronic filing and APIs, and privacy/access rules.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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