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Iowa Department of Management

Red Tape Review

This page provides resources for agencies to complete a review of their administrative rules in accordance with Executive Order 10.

Goals of the Red Tape Review:

  • Implement a deliberative approach to rulemaking
  • Increase public input in the rulemaking process
  • Eliminate rules that do not provide substantiated benefits to Iowans
  • Adopt the least costly way to realize the public benefits or purpose of a rule
  • Adhere to the rulemaking authority granted by the legislature
  • Reduce page and word count of the administrative code
  • Reduce restrictive language (shall, must, may not, prohibit, require, restrict)
  • Avoid verbatim repetition of statutory language, cite the statute instead

View Red Tape Review Results

Recent News

Red Tape Review Executive Order

Executive Order 10: Administrative Rulemaking Moratorium and Review

Gov. Kim Reynolds signed Executive Order Number 10 on Tuesday, January 10, 2023, putting a moratorium on administrative rulemaking and instituting a comprehensive review of all existing administrative rules.   

“Iowa's Administrative Code contains over 20,000 pages and 190,000 restrictive terms, putting undue burden on Iowans and the state's economy, increasing costs for employers, slowing job growth, and impacting private sector investments,” stated Gov. Reynolds. “In Iowa, we’re taking a commonsense approach that gets government out of the way and leads to a more robust economy in every community.”   

The Executive Order also directs a comprehensive evaluation and rigorous cost benefit analysis of existing rules to evaluate their public benefits, whether the benefits justify the cost, and whether there are less restrictive alternatives to achieve their intended goal. 

Red Tape Review Agency Review Dates

Executive Order 10: Agency Review Dates

Document provides general timeframes for agency review of administrative rules.

Forms & Templates

Please read each document carefully prior to starting the agency review process. You will need to gather agency input from various areas in your department to successfully complete the documents. Please keep the goals of the Red Tape Review in mind when reviewing the documents.

Administrative Rules Coordinator