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House
File
2769
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House
File
2769
AN
ACT
RELATING
TO
AND
MAKING
APPROPRIATIONS
TO
THE
JUDICIAL
BRANCH.
BE
IT
ENACTED
BY
THE
GENERAL
ASSEMBLY
OF
THE
STATE
OF
IOWA:
Section
1.
JUDICIAL
BRANCH.
1.
There
is
appropriated
from
the
general
fund
of
the
state
to
the
judicial
branch
for
the
fiscal
year
beginning
July
1,
2026,
and
ending
June
30,
2027,
the
following
amounts,
or
so
much
thereof
as
is
necessary,
to
be
used
for
the
purposes
designated:
a.
For
salaries
of
supreme
court
justices,
appellate
court
judges,
district
court
judges,
district
associate
judges,
associate
juvenile
judges,
associate
probate
judges,
judicial
magistrates
and
staff,
state
court
administrator,
clerk
of
the
supreme
court,
district
court
administrators,
clerks
of
the
district
court,
juvenile
court
officers,
board
of
law
examiners,
board
of
examiners
of
shorthand
reporters,
and
commission
on
judicial
qualifications;
receipt
and
disbursement
of
child
support
payments;
reimbursement
of
the
auditor
of
state
for
expenses
incurred
in
completing
audits
of
the
offices
of
the
clerks
of
the
district
court
during
the
fiscal
year
beginning
July
1,
2026;
and
maintenance,
equipment,
and
miscellaneous
purposes:
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$202,691,378
b.
For
deposit
in
the
revolving
fund
created
pursuant
to
section
602.1302,
subsection
3
,
for
jury
and
witness
fees,
House
File
2769,
p.
2
mileage,
costs
related
to
summoning
jurors,
costs
and
fees
for
interpreters
and
translators,
and
reimbursement
of
attorney
fees
paid
by
the
state
public
defender:
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$
3,600,000
c.
For
payment
of
expenses
for
court-ordered
services
provided
to
juveniles
who
are
under
the
supervision
of
juvenile
court
services,
which
expenses
are
a
charge
upon
the
state
pursuant
to
section
232.141,
subsection
4
:
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$
3,290,000
(1)
Of
the
moneys
appropriated
in
this
lettered
paragraph,
no
more
than
$1,556,000
is
allocated
to
provide
school-based
supervision
of
children
under
chapter
232
,
of
which
no
more
than
$25,000
may
be
used
for
purposes
of
training.
(2)
Notwithstanding
section
232.141
or
any
other
provision
of
law
to
the
contrary,
the
moneys
appropriated
in
this
lettered
paragraph
shall
be
distributed
to
the
judicial
districts
as
determined
by
the
state
court
administrator.
The
state
court
administrator
shall
make
the
determination
of
the
distribution
amounts
within
thirty
days
of
the
date
on
which
the
annual
census
data
is
released.
(3)
Notwithstanding
chapter
232
or
any
other
provision
of
law
to
the
contrary,
a
district
or
juvenile
court
shall
not
order
any
service
which
is
a
charge
upon
the
state
pursuant
to
section
232.141
if
there
are
insufficient
court-ordered
services
moneys
available
in
the
district
court
distribution
amounts
to
pay
for
the
service.
The
chief
juvenile
court
officer
shall
encourage
use
of
the
moneys
appropriated
in
this
lettered
paragraph
such
that
there
are
sufficient
moneys
to
pay
for
all
court-ordered
services
during
the
entire
fiscal
year.
The
chief
juvenile
court
officer
shall
attempt
to
anticipate
potential
surpluses
and
shortfalls
in
the
distribution
amounts
and
shall
cooperatively
request
the
state
court
administrator
to
transfer
moneys
between
the
judicial
districts’
distribution
amounts
as
prudent.
(4)
Notwithstanding
any
provision
of
law
to
the
contrary,
a
district
or
juvenile
court
shall
not
order
a
county
to
pay
for
any
service
provided
to
a
juvenile
pursuant
to
an
order
entered
under
chapter
232
which
is
a
charge
upon
the
state
under
section
232.141,
subsection
4
.
House
File
2769,
p.
3
(5)
Of
the
moneys
appropriated
in
this
lettered
paragraph,
no
more
than
$83,000
may
be
used
by
the
judicial
branch
for
administration
of
the
requirements
under
this
lettered
paragraph.
(6)
Of
the
moneys
appropriated
in
this
lettered
paragraph,
an
amount
not
to
exceed
the
actual
cost
of
the
annual
membership
fee
is
allocated
to
the
judicial
branch
to
support
the
interstate
commission
for
juveniles
in
accordance
with
the
interstate
compact
for
juveniles
as
provided
in
section
232.173
.
(7)
Notwithstanding
section
8.33
,
moneys
appropriated
in
this
lettered
paragraph
that
remain
unencumbered
or
unobligated
at
the
close
of
the
fiscal
year
shall
not
revert
but
shall
remain
available
for
expenditure
for
the
purposes
designated
until
the
close
of
the
fiscal
year
that
begins
July
1,
2029.
d.
For
juvenile
delinquent
graduated
sanctions
services
pursuant
to
section
232.192
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$
12,253,000
(1)
Any
state
moneys
saved
as
a
result
of
efforts
by
juvenile
court
services
to
earn
a
federal
fund
match
pursuant
to
Tit.
IV-E
of
the
federal
Family
First
Prevention
Services
Act
of
2018,
Pub.
L.
No.
115-123,
for
juvenile
court
services
administration
is
appropriated
to
the
judicial
branch
for
purposes
of
this
lettered
paragraph.
(2)
Notwithstanding
section
8.33
,
moneys
appropriated
in
this
lettered
paragraph
that
remain
unencumbered
or
unobligated
at
the
close
of
the
fiscal
year
shall
not
revert
but
shall
remain
available
for
expenditure
for
the
purposes
designated
until
the
close
of
the
fiscal
year
that
begins
July
1,
2029.
e.
For
salaries
of
business
court
judges
and
the
establishment
and
operation
of
a
specialty
business
court
pursuant
to
2026
Iowa
Acts,
Senate
File
639,
if
enacted:
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$
500,000
2.
The
judicial
branch,
except
for
purposes
of
internal
processing,
shall
use
the
current
state
budget
system,
the
state
payroll
system,
and
the
Iowa
finance
and
accounting
system
in
administration
of
programs
and
payments
for
services,
and
shall
not
duplicate
the
state
payroll,
accounting,
and
budgeting
systems.
House
File
2769,
p.
4
3.
The
judicial
branch
shall
submit
monthly
financial
statements
to
the
legislative
services
agency
and
the
department
of
management
containing
all
appropriated
accounts
in
the
same
manner
as
provided
in
the
monthly
financial
status
reports
and
personal
services
usage
reports
of
the
department
of
administrative
services.
The
monthly
financial
statements
must
include
a
comparison
of
the
dollars
and
percentage
spent
of
budgeted
versus
actual
revenues
and
expenditures
on
a
cumulative
basis
for
full-time
equivalent
positions
and
dollars.
4.
The
judicial
branch
shall
focus
efforts
upon
the
collection
of
delinquent
fines,
penalties,
court
costs,
fees,
surcharges,
or
similar
amounts.
5.
It
is
the
intent
of
the
general
assembly
that
the
offices
of
the
clerks
of
the
district
court
operate
in
all
99
counties
and
be
accessible
to
the
public
as
much
as
is
reasonably
possible
in
order
to
address
the
relative
needs
of
the
citizens
of
each
county.
An
office
of
the
clerk
of
the
district
court
shall
be
open
regular
courthouse
hours.
6.
In
addition
to
the
requirements
for
transfers
under
section
8.39
,
the
judicial
branch
shall
not
change
the
appropriations
from
the
amounts
appropriated
to
the
judicial
branch
in
this
Act
unless
notice
of
the
revisions
is
given
to
the
legislative
services
agency
prior
to
the
effective
date.
The
notice
must
include
information
on
the
judicial
branch’s
rationale
for
making
the
changes
and
details
concerning
the
workload
and
performance
measures
upon
which
the
changes
are
based.
7.
The
judicial
branch
shall
submit
a
semiannual
update
to
the
legislative
services
agency
and
department
of
management
specifying
the
amounts
of
fines,
surcharges,
and
court
costs
collected
using
the
Iowa
court
information
system
since
the
last
report.
The
judicial
branch
shall
continue
to
facilitate
the
sharing
of
vital
sentencing
and
other
information
with
other
state
departments
and
governmental
agencies
involved
in
the
criminal
justice
system
through
the
Iowa
court
information
system.
8.
The
judicial
branch
shall
provide
a
report
to
the
general
assembly
and
department
of
management
by
January
1,
2027,
House
File
2769,
p.
5
concerning
the
amounts
received
and
expended
from
the
court
technology
and
modernization
fund
created
in
section
602.8108,
subsection
7
,
during
the
fiscal
year
beginning
July
1,
2025,
and
ending
June
30,
2026,
and
the
plans
for
expenditures
from
the
fund
during
the
fiscal
year
beginning
July
1,
2026,
and
ending
June
30,
2027.
Sec.
2.
CIVIL
TRIALS
——
LOCATION.
Notwithstanding
any
provision
to
the
contrary,
for
the
fiscal
year
beginning
July
1,
2026,
and
ending
June
30,
2027,
if
all
parties
in
a
case
agree,
a
civil
trial
including
a
jury
trial
may
take
place
in
a
county
contiguous
to
the
county
with
proper
jurisdiction,
even
if
the
contiguous
county
is
located
in
an
adjacent
judicial
district
or
judicial
election
district.
If
the
trial
is
moved
pursuant
to
this
section,
court
personnel
shall
treat
the
case
as
if
a
change
of
venue
occurred.
Sec.
3.
TRAVEL
REIMBURSEMENT.
Notwithstanding
section
602.1509
,
for
the
fiscal
year
beginning
July
1,
2026,
and
ending
June
30,
2027,
a
judicial
officer
may
waive
travel
reimbursement
for
any
travel
outside
the
judicial
officer’s
county
of
residence
to
conduct
official
judicial
business.
Sec.
4.
JUDICIAL
OFFICER
——
UNPAID
LEAVE.
Notwithstanding
the
annual
salary
rates
for
judicial
officers
established
by
2025
Iowa
Acts,
chapter
158,
section
6,
for
the
fiscal
year
beginning
July
1,
2026,
and
ending
June
30,
2027,
the
supreme
court
may
by
order
place
all
judicial
officers
on
unpaid
leave
status
on
any
day
employees
of
the
judicial
branch
are
placed
on
temporary
layoff
status.
The
biweekly
pay
of
the
judicial
officers
shall
be
reduced
accordingly
for
the
pay
period
in
which
the
unpaid
leave
date
occurred
in
the
same
manner
as
for
noncontract
employees
of
the
judicial
branch.
Through
the
course
of
the
fiscal
year,
the
judicial
branch
may
use
an
amount
equal
to
the
aggregate
amount
of
salary
reductions
due
to
the
judicial
officer
unpaid
leave
days
for
any
purpose
other
than
for
judicial
salaries.
Sec.
5.
IOWA
COMMUNICATIONS
NETWORK.
It
is
the
intent
of
the
general
assembly
that
the
judicial
branch
utilize
the
Iowa
communications
network
or
other
secure
electronic
communications
in
lieu
of
traveling
for
the
fiscal
year
beginning
July
1,
2026,
and
ending
June
30,
2027.
House
File
2769,
p.
6
Sec.
6.
Section
602.1202,
Code
2026,
is
amended
to
read
as
follows:
602.1202
Judicial
council.
1.
A
judicial
council
is
established,
consisting
of
the
chief
judges
of
the
judicial
districts,
the
chief
judge
of
the
court
of
appeals,
and
the
chief
justice
who
shall
be
the
chairperson.
The
council
shall
convene
not
less
than
twice
each
year
at
times
and
places
as
ordered
by
the
chief
justice.
The
council
shall
advise
the
supreme
court
with
respect
to
the
supervision
and
administration
of
the
judicial
branch.
2.
A
meeting
of
the
judicial
council
in
which
the
judicial
retirement
system
is
discussed
shall
not
be
held
as
a
closed
session
under
section
21.5.
Sec.
7.
Section
602.9102,
Code
2026,
is
amended
to
read
as
follows:
602.9102
Administered
by
court
administrator.
1.
The
court
administrator
shall
be
vested
with
authority
is
authorized
to
administer
the
system
and
related
reports
and
may
promulgate
rules
therefor
not
inconsistent
with
the
provisions
of
this
article
.
2.
The
state
court
administrator
shall
advise
the
judicial
council
on
all
determinations
made
by
the
state
court
administrator
concerning
the
judicial
retirement
system.
______________________________
PAT
GRASSLEY
Speaker
of
the
House
______________________________
AMY
SINCLAIR
President
of
the
Senate
I
hereby
certify
that
this
bill
originated
in
the
House
and
is
known
as
House
File
2769,
Ninety-first
General
Assembly.
______________________________
MEGHAN
NELSON
Chief
Clerk
of
the
House
Approved
_______________,
2026
______________________________
KIM
REYNOLDS
Governor