A bill for an act providing for the preparation and filing of a district parcel record that identifies all parcels contained within a drainage or levee district that is part of a county. (Formerly SSB 1178.) Effective date: 07/01/2025.
Summary
Senate File 593 requires county auditors to prepare and file a “district parcel record” with the county recorder for drainage or levee districts that are part of a county. The record must identify all parcels in the district and include, for each forty-acre tract or fraction thereof, the legal description, parcel identification number if known, and the names of owners as shown in the auditor’s transfer books. If the district parcel record changes, the county auditor must file amendments within a reasonable time after receiving them.
The bill also establishes a transition rule for counties that had not already filed such a document before the act’s effective date. Those county auditors must prepare and file the required district parcel record by June 30, 2026, after which the transition provision is repealed. The bill expressly prohibits counties from charging the district any filing fee or other cost or expense for this filing requirement, including expenses referenced elsewhere in the drainage and levee district code.
Impact
SF 593 amends Iowa Code section 468.27 to create a new county-level recordkeeping duty for drainage and levee districts, shifting responsibility to county auditors to compile and maintain parcel-level ownership and legal-description records with the county recorder. It affects counties, county auditors, county recorders, and drainage or levee districts by standardizing documentation and eliminating fees for the required filings. The bill does not change the substantive powers of the districts, but it adds an administrative and record-maintenance requirement intended to improve parcel identification and public record accuracy.
Sentiment
The bill appears to have been broadly supported and noncontroversial. It passed the Senate Natural Resources and Environment Committee unanimously, passed the Senate 48-0, and later passed the House committee and the House 44-0. The unanimous votes suggest general agreement that the measure is a technical or administrative improvement to district recordkeeping rather than a policy dispute.
Contention
No notable substantive opposition is reflected in the available record, and there are no committee transcripts indicating debate. The only potentially sensitive point is the mandate on county auditors and recorders to prepare and update the district parcel record without charging the district any filing fee or related expense, which could affect county administrative workloads and costs. However, the unanimous votes indicate that any such concerns were not significant enough to generate recorded opposition.
Related
A bill for an act providing for the preparation and filing of a district parcel record that identifies all parcels contained within a drainage or levee district that is part of a county.(See SF 593.)
A bill for an act providing for the preparation and filing of a district parcel record that identifies all parcels contained within a drainage or levee district that is part of a county.(See SF 593.)
A bill for an act relating to drainage districts and levees, including district parcel records, and including effective date provisions. (Formerly SF 2349.) Effective date: 04/09/2026.
A bill for an act relating to drainage or levee districts, by exempting an application fee that may be charged to certain persons applying for an easement to install fiber optic cable, and including effective date provisions.(Formerly HSB 754.)
A bill for an act providing for the conversion of partnerships into other forms of domestic or foreign organizations, and providing for fees. (Formerly SF 2363, SSB 3160.) Effective date: 07/01/2026.