Section 111.13.5. Requests for treatment of a record as a confidential record and its withholding from examination.

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.

       13.5(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.

       13.5(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 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, 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 filing 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.

       13.5(3) Failure to request. Failure of a person to request confidential record treatment for a record does not preclude the agency 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.

       13.5(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 filed, or when the custodian receives a request for access to the record by a member of the public.

       13.5(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 filed a request for its treatment as a confidential record that is not available for public inspection of the pendency of that subsequent request.

       13.5(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 shall not be withheld from public inspection for any period of time if the custodian determines that the requester had no reasonable grounds to justify 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.