Iowa Administrative Code › Agency 621 - Public Employment Relations Board › Chapter 12 - Public Records and Fair Information Practices (Uniform Rules) › Rule 621-12.5 - Requests for Treatment of a Record as a Confidential Record and Its Withholding From Examination

Current through Register Vol. 47, No. 3, July 24, 2024
The custodian may treat a record as a confidential record and
				withhold it from examination only to the extent that the custodian is
				authorized by Iowa Code section
				22.7, another
				applicable provision of law, or a court order, to refuse to disclose that
				record to members of the public.
(1)
Persons who may request.
Any person who would be aggrieved or
			 adversely affected by disclosure of a record and who asserts that Iowa Code
			 section
			 22.7, another
			 applicable provision of law, or a court order, authorizes the custodian to
			 treat the record as a confidential record, may request the custodian to treat
			 that record as a confidential record and to withhold it from public
			 inspection.
(2)
Request.
A request that a record be treated as a confidential
			 record and be withheld from public inspection shall be in writing and shall be
			 electronically filed with the custodian. The request must set forth the legal
			 and factual basis justifying such confidential record treatment for that
			 record, and the name, address, email address and telephone number of the person
			 authorized to respond to any inquiry or action of the custodian concerning the
			 request. A person requesting treatment of a record as a confidential record may
			 also be required to sign a certified statement or affidavit enumerating the
			 specific reasons justifying the treatment of that record as a confidential
			 record and to provide any proof necessary to establish relevant facts. Requests
			 for treatment of a record as such a confidential record for a limited time
			 period shall also specify the precise period of time for which that treatment
			 is requested.
A person submitting such a request shall, if possible,
				accompany the request with a copy of the record in question from which those
				portions for which such confidential record treatment has been requested have
				been deleted. If the original record is being submitted to the agency by the
				person requesting such confidential treatment at the time the request is filed,
				the person shall indicate conspicuously on the original record that all or
				portions of it are confidential.
(3)
Failure to request.
Failure of a person to request confidential record treatment for a record does
			 not preclude the custodian from treating it as a confidential record. However,
			 if a person who has submitted business information to the agency does not
			 request that it be withheld from public inspection under Iowa Code section
			 22.7(3) or
			 22.7(6),
			 the custodian of records containing that information may proceed as if that
			 person has no objection to its disclosure to members of the public.
(4)
Timing of decision.
A
			 decision by the custodian with respect to the disclosure of a record to members
			 of the public may be made when a request for its treatment as a confidential
			 record that is not available for public inspection is submitted, or when the
			 custodian receives a request for access to the record by a member of the
			 public.
(5)
Request granted
			 or deferred.
If a request for such confidential record treatment is
			 granted, or if action on such a request is deferred, a copy of the record from
			 which the matter in question has been deleted and a copy of the decision to
			 grant the request or to defer action upon the request will be made available
			 for public inspection in lieu of the original record. If the custodian
			 subsequently receives a request for access to the original record, the
			 custodian will make reasonable and timely efforts to notify any person who has
			 filed a request for its treatment as a confidential record that is not
			 available for public inspection of the pendency of that subsequent
			 request.
(6)
Request denied
			 and opportunity to seek injunction.
If a request that a record be
			 treated as a confidential record and be withheld from public inspection is
			 denied, the custodian shall notify the requester in writing of that
			 determination and the reasons therefor. On application by the requester, the
			 custodian may engage in a good faith, reasonable delay in allowing examination
			 of the record so that the requester may seek injunctive relief under the
			 provisions of Iowa Code section
			 22.8,
			 or other applicable provision of law. However, such a record need not be
			 withheld from public inspection for any period of time if the custodian
			 determines that the requester had no reasonable grounds to justify the
			 treatment of that record as a confidential record. The custodian shall notify
			 the requester in writing of the time period allowed to seek injunctive relief
			 or the reasons for the determination that no reasonable grounds exist to
			 justify the treatment of that record as a confidential record. The custodian
			 may extend the period of good faith, reasonable delay in allowing examination
			 of the record so that the requester may seek injunctive relief only if no
			 request for examination of that record has been received, or if a court directs
			 the custodian to treat it as a confidential record, or to the extent permitted
			 by another applicable provision of law, or with the consent of the person
			 requesting access.