HF554

Purpose

To require counties and cities to keep clear, written policies and procedures for every duty or operation, make them available to the public, and provide for public access either in hard copy or on the local government’s website. The bill also sets rules for including fee/assessment information and certain law enforcement procedures, and it limits these requirements for very small jurisdictions.

Main Provisions

• Policies and operations manuals for each duty or operation

  • Counties, home rule charter cities, and statutory cities must have clear operating policies, procedures, forms, deadlines, due dates, and payment requirements on file.
  • Manuals must be usable for employee training, reference, and public inspection.
  • Manuals may be published on the county or city website; if published online, the site must show where hard copies can be found.
  • If not online, the manuals must be available at the city clerk’s office or a designated county office.

• Payment and fee/assessment details

  • If the manual covers payment of a fee or assessment, it must include all required forms, payment instructions, due dates, and consequences of late or nonpayment.

• Law enforcement procedures

  • Law enforcement procedures may be included in the manuals only if approved by the chief law enforcement officer (or, if there is no chief, by at least two other mandated law enforcement officers with decisionmaking authority).

• Public data and exemptions

  • Information in the manuals that is classified as not public data may be excluded from public disclosure.

• Small jurisdictions exemption

  • The requirements do not apply to:
  • a home rule charter or statutory city with a population of 10,000 or less, or
  • a county with a population of less than 40,000.

Definitions (Key Terms)

• Duty or operation: Each specific function of the county or city, including implementing laws, ordinances, resolutions, and regulations; providing services; licensing requirements; fees or assessments; administrative and financial procedures (including budget and personnel processes); and other similar duties.
• Fee or assessment: Any money (including penalties and interest) charged by the county or city for a service, license, permit, use, record, or privilege paid directly to the county or city. This includes child support obligations, taxes or fees where the county acts as an agent of the state, special assessments, and charges that could become a lien or property tax. It does not include property taxes governed by chapters 272 to 287, except as stated.

Significant Changes to Existing Law

• Introduces a new statewide requirement for counties and cities to maintain and publicly provide comprehensive policies and procedures for all official duties and operations.
• Establishes a standardized approach to disclosing fee/assessment information and the related forms and payment details.
• Creates a governance check for law enforcement procedures by requiring approval from designated officers.
• Adds specific public-access provisions (physical and/or online) for these manuals, aligning local government transparency with public records practices.
• Provides targeted exemptions for very small jurisdictions, limiting applicability based on population.

Relevant data considerations - Not public data provision is explicitly allowed for certain information, aligning with privacy or security restrictions.

Relevant Terms policies and procedures; policies and operations manuals; public inspection; employee training; website publication; hard copies; city clerk; county office; fees or assessments; forms; due dates; late payment; consequences; law enforcement procedure; chief law enforcement officer; approval; not public data; home rule charter city; statutory city; population thresholds; duty or operation; implementation of laws; licenses; permits; services; administrative and financial operating procedures; budget and personnel procedures; lien; special assessments; agent of the state.