The Iowa House lawmakers are currently considering a bill that would restrict the state auditor’s office from learning some information in an audit. 

Senate File 478 passed the senate along party lines and it puts restrictions on what kind of records the state auditor can access. That includes personal data, academic information, income tax returns, criminal records or any other personal records. Republican House Representative for District 28 David Young says that there is a concern by many that the bill is political but it’s really to protect private information in an audit.

“For example, if there was an audit regarding Medicaid reimbursements to the state from a hospital. We want to make sure that the patient’s personal information that may have been examined throughout that whole system of an audit remains personal and is private because it really has nothing to do in the end with the audit.”

Opponents of the bill have concerns this piece of legislation would handicap the state auditor to no longer meet the general oversight requirements to receive federal funds. Young states they have done their due diligence to make sure those standards are in place. 

“So we’ve had a hearing on this bill in our state government committee, in our Appropriations Committee, I believe, which I serve on both of those. And we want to make sure that we just clarify what an audit is and should be under any auditor, Democrat or Republican, and make sure we’re protecting the personal information and privacy of all Iowans.” 

Auditor Rob Sand released a statement saying that this bill would negatively impact his ability to independently and sufficiently perform his work.