HF 2678: A bill for an act providing for certain persons acting under the jurisdiction of the secretary of state, including by providing for information from required filings, and the administrative dissolution of certain entities, and making penalties applicable. - Iowa

Enrolled with Governor's Action → Reprinted · 5 edits

MODERATE

This bill adds new tools for the Iowa Secretary of State to combat fraudulent entity filings. It allows the Secretary to demand in-person delivery of documents if fraud is suspected, creates a process for individuals to file affidavits to remove unauthorized personal information from public records, and grants the Secretary power to serve written interrogatories to investigate partnerships used for illegal purposes.

Scope change

The bill expands the Secretary of State's authority to investigate and act against fraudulent filings, specifically targeting partnerships and limited partnerships.

ENFORCEMENT

The Secretary of State can now require documents to be delivered in person or by mail if credible information suggests the filing is fraudulent or intended for illegal purposes.

The Secretary of State gains the authority to serve written interrogatories to partnerships suspected of being used for fraud, requiring them to answer specific questions about their operations.

REQUIREMENT

A new process allows individuals whose information was wrongly included in a partnership filing to submit a notarized affidavit to force the removal of that information from public records.

DEFINITION

The bill defines 'credible information' as affidavits of unauthorized use, tips from other government agencies, or data from credible third-party sources.

TECHNICAL

The bill text was reformatted from a line-by-line legislative markup style into a standard, readable bill format.

Enrolled → Enrolled with Governor's Action · 4 edits · May 18, 2026

MODERATE

This bill adds new tools for the Iowa Secretary of State to combat fraudulent filings and unauthorized use of personal information in business records. It allows the Secretary to demand written interrogatories to investigate suspicious partnerships and creates a formal process for individuals to request the removal of their personal data if it was filed without their consent.

Scope change

The bill expands the Secretary of State's authority from passive filing to active investigation and enforcement regarding fraudulent or unauthorized business filings.

ENFORCEMENT

New authority for the Secretary of State to serve written interrogatories on partnerships suspected of being used for fraudulent or unlawful purposes.

REQUIREMENT

Creation of a new 'Statement of Removal' process allowing individuals to file a sworn affidavit to have their personal information removed from public business filings if it was submitted without their authorization.

Requirement for the Secretary of State to conduct an administrative review to verify if a filing was authorized before removing information or taking enforcement action.

Added provisions allowing the Secretary of State to require documents to be delivered by mail or in person if credible information suggests fraudulent intent.

Signed Enrolled Bill (PDF) → Enrolled · 5 edits · May 18, 2026

MODERATE

The bill text was reformatted to remove the Governor's signature block and standardize the layout, but the substantive legal content regarding partnership filings remains intact. The core policy changes include new authority for the Secretary of State to reject fraudulent filings, a process for individuals to remove unauthorized personal information from public records, and the power to serve interrogatories to investigate partnerships used for illegal purposes.

Scope change

The bill's scope regarding partnership regulation and fraud prevention remains unchanged; only the presentation format of the enrolled bill was modified.

TECHNICAL

Removed the Governor's signature block and date from the beginning of the document, which is standard procedure when a bill is signed into law.

Reformatted the text to use consistent line breaks and numbering for the sections and subsections.

REQUIREMENT

Established a new process allowing individuals to file a sworn affidavit to remove their personal information (name, address, email) if it was incorrectly listed as a registered agent or principal office in a partnership filing without their authorization.

ENFORCEMENT

Granted the Secretary of State the authority to require documents to be delivered in person or by mail if there is credible evidence of fraudulent filing, and the power to serve written interrogatories to investigate partnerships suspected of being used for criminal or unlawful purposes.

DEFINITION

Defined 'credible information' as including affidavits of unauthorized use, information from other government agencies, or data from credible third-party sources.

Introduced → Signed Enrolled Bill (PDF) · 5 edits · May 18, 2026

MODERATE

This bill expands the Secretary of State's authority to remove fraudulent information from public filings and to administratively dissolve entities. It introduces a new process allowing individuals to submit sworn affidavits to remove unauthorized personal information (like home addresses) from partnership filings. Additionally, it grants the Secretary of State the power to serve interrogatories to investigate entities suspected of being used for fraudulent or criminal purposes, potentially leading to administrative dissolution.

Scope change

The bill expands the scope from general business entity filings to specifically include partnerships and limited partnerships, adding new mechanisms for fraud investigation and information removal.

REQUIREMENT

Added a new process allowing individuals to submit sworn affidavits to request the removal of personal information (name, address, email) that was filed without their authorization.

ENFORCEMENT

Granted the Secretary of State the authority to serve written interrogatories to investigate partnerships suspected of being used for fraudulent, criminal, or unlawful purposes.

Established that a failure to respond to interrogatories or a response admitting a violation constitutes a concession that the entity violated the law, potentially triggering administrative dissolution.

SCOPE

Extended similar fraud prevention and removal procedures to limited partnerships, mirroring the rules established for general partnerships.

ELIGIBILITY

Modified filing requirements to allow the Secretary of State to demand in-person or mail delivery if credible information suggests a filing is fraudulent.

A bill for an act providing for certain persons acting under the jurisdiction of the secretary of state, including by providing for information from required filings, and the administrative dissolution of certain entities, and making penalties applicable.

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