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STATE OF IOWA
KIM REYNOLDS
GOVERNOR
May 19, 2025
The Honorable Paul Pate
Secretary of State of Iowa
State Capitol
Des Moines, Iowa 50319
Dear Mr. Secretary,
I hereby transmit:
House File 472, an Act creating a special motion for expedited relief in actions involving
the exercise of the right of freedom of speech and of the press, the right to assemble and
petition, and the right of association, and including applicability provisions.
The above House File is hereby approved on this date.
Sincerely,
KimV.qA-olds
Governor of to
cc: Secretary of the Senate
Clerk of the House
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House File 472
AN ACT
CREATING A SPECIAL MOTION FOR EXPEDITED RELIEF IN ACTIONS
INVOLVING THE EXERCISE OF THE RIGHT OF FREEDOM OF SPEECH
AND OF THE PRESS, THE RIGHT TO ASSEMBLE AND PETITION,
AND THE RIGHT OF ASSOCIATION, AND INCLUDING APPLICABILITY
PROVISIONS.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
Section 1. NEW SECTION. 652.1 Title.
This chapter may be cited as the " Uniform Public Expression
Protection Act
Sec. 2. NEW SECTION. 652.2 Scope.
1. As used in this section:
a. " Goods or services - does not include the creation,
dissemination, exhibition, or advertisement or similar
promotion of a dramatic, literary, musical, political,
journalistic, or artistic work.
b. " Governmental unit - means a public corporation
or government or governmental subdivision, agency, or
instrumentality.
2. Except as otherwise provided in subsection 3, this
chapter applies to a cause of action asserted in a civil action
against a person based on any of the following of the person:
a. Communication in a legislative, executive, judicial,
administrative, or other governmental proceeding.
b. Communication on an issue under consideration or review
in a legislative, executive, judicial, administrative, or other
House File 472, p. 2
governmental proceeding.
c. Exercise of the right of freedom of speech or of the
press, the right to assemble or petition, or the right of
association, guaranteed by the Constitution of the United
States or the Constitution of the State of Iowa, on a matter of
public concern.
3. This chapter does not apply to any of the following
causes of action asserted:
a. Against a governmental unit or an employee or agent of a
governmental unit acting or purporting to act in an official
capacity.
b. By a governmental unit or an employee or agent of a
governmental unit acting in an official capacity to enforce a
law to protect against an imminent threat to public health or
safety.
c. Against a person primarily engaged in the business of
selling or leasing goods or services if the cause of action
arises out of a communication related to the person's sale or
lease of the goods or services.
Sec. 3. NEW SECTION. 652.3 Special motion for expedited
relief.
Not later than sixty days after a party is served with a
petition, crossclaim, counterclaim, third- party claim, or other
pleading that asserts a cause of action to which this chapter
applies, or at a later time on a showing of good cause, the
party may file a special motion for expedited relief to dismiss
the cause of action or part of the cause of action.
Sec. 4. NEW SECTION. 652.4 Stay.
1. Except as otherwise provided in subsections 4 through
7, on the filing of a motion under section 652.3, all of the
following apply:
a. All other proceedings between the moving party and
responding party, including discovery and a pending hearing or
motion, are stayed.
b. On motion by the moving party, the court may stay a
hearing or motion involving another party, or discovery by
another party, if the hearing or ruling on the motion would
adjudicate, or the discovery would relate to, an issue material
to the motion under section 652.3.
House File 472, p. 3
2. A stay under subsection 1 remains in effect until entry
of an order ruling on the motion under section 652.3 and
expiration of the time under section 652.9 for the moving party
to appeal the order.
3. Except as otherwise provided in subsections 5, 6,
and 7, if a party appeals from an order ruling on a motion
under section 652.3, all proceedings between all parties in
the action are stayed. The stay remains in effect until the
conclusion of the appeal.
4. During a stay under subsection 1, the court may allow
limited discovery if a party shows that specific information is
necessary to establish whether a party has satisfied or failed
to satisfy a burden under section 652.7, subsection 1, and the
information is not reasonably available unless discovery is
allowed.
5. A motion under section 652.10 for costs, attorney fees,
and expenses is not subject to a stay under this section.
6. A stay under this section does not affect a party's
ability to voluntarily dismiss a cause of action or part of a
cause of action or move to sever a cause of action.
7. During a stay under this section, the court for good
cause may hear and rule on all of the following:
a. A motion unrelated to the motion under section 652.3.
b. A motion seeking a special or preliminary injunction to
protect against an imminent threat to public health or safety.
Sec. 5. NEW SECTION. 652.5 Hearing.
1. The court shall hear a motion under section 652.3 not
later than sixty days after filing of the motion, unless the
court orders a later hearing for any of the following:
a. To allow discovery under section 652.4, subsection 4.
b. For other good cause.
2. If the court orders a later hearing under subsection 1,
paragraph - a - , the court shall hear the motion under section
652.3 not later than sixty days after the court order allowing
the discovery, unless the court orders a later hearing under
subsection 1, paragraph " b - .
Sec. 6. NEW SECTION. 652.6 Proof.
In ruling on a motion under section 652.3, the court shall
consider the pleadings, the motion, any reply or response to
House File 472, p. 4
the motion, and any evidence that could be considered in ruling
on a motion for summary judgment under rule of civil procedure
1.981.
Sec. 7. NEW SECTION. 652.7 Dismissal of cause of action in
whole or part.
1. In ruling on a motion under section 652.3, the court
shall dismiss with prejudice a cause of action, or part of a
cause of action, if all of the following are true:
a. The moving party establishes under section 652.2,
subsection 2, that this chapter applies.
b. The responding party fails to establish under section
652.2, subsection 3, that this chapter does not apply.
c. Any of the following are true:
( 1) The responding party fails to establish a prima facie
case as to each essential element of the cause of action.
( 2) The moving party establishes that any of the following:
( a) The responding party failed to state a cause of action
upon which relief can be granted.
( b) There is no genuine issue as to any material fact and
the moving party is entitled to judgment as a matter of law on
the action or part of an action.
2. A voluntary dismissal without prejudice of a responding
party's cause of action, or part of a cause of action, that is
the subject of a motion under section 652.3 does not affect a
moving party's right to obtain a ruling on the motion and seek
costs, attorney fees, and expenses under section 652.10.
3. A voluntary dismissal with prejudice of a responding
party's cause of action, or part of a cause of action, that is
the subject of a motion under section 652.3 establishes for the
purpose of section 652.10 that the moving party prevailed on
the motion.
Sec. 8. NEW SECTION. 652.8 Ruling.
The court shall rule on a motion under section 652.3 not
later than sixty days after a hearing under section 652.5.
Sec. 9. NEW SECTION. 652.9 Appeal.
A moving party may appeal as a matter of right from an order
denying, in whole or in part, a motion under section 652.3.
The appeal must be filed not later than thirty days after entry
of the order.
House File 472, p. 5
Sec. 10. NEW SECTION. 652.10 Costs, attorney fees, and
expenses.
On a motion under section 652.3, the court shall award court
costs, reasonable attorney fees, and reasonable litigation
expenses related to the motion in the following circumstances:
1. To the moving party if the moving party prevails on the
motion.
2. To the responding party if the responding party prevails
on the motion and the court finds that the motion was frivolous
or filed solely with intent to delay the proceeding.
Sec. 11. NEW SECTION. 652.11 Construction.
This chapter shall be broadly construed and applied to
protect the exercise of the right of freedom of speech and of
the press, the right to assemble and petition, and the right
of association, guaranteed by the Constitution of the United
States or the Constitution of the State of Iowa.
Sec. 12. NEW SECTION. 652.12 Uniformity of application and
construction.
In applying and construing this chapter, consideration shall
be given to the need to promote uniformity of the law with
respect to its subject matter among states that enact it.
Sec. 13. APPLICABILITY. This Act applies to a civil action
filed on or after the effective date of this Act.
PAT GRASSLE
Speaker of he House President of the Senate
I hereby certify that this bill originated in the House and
is known as House File 472, Ninety-first General Assembly.
Approved I ' %, M I ' , 2025
MEGHAN NELSON
Chi`6f Clerk of the House
. I•
KIM R%"OLDS
Governor