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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 956, an Act relating to judicial branch administration, including judicial
officer residency, judicial officer retirement age, remote proceedings, court reporter
supervision and duties, and civil pleadings availability, and including applicability
provisions.
The above House File is hereby approved on this date.
Sincemly,
Kim^
Governor of I
cc: Secretary of the Senate
Clerk of the House
STATE CAPITOL DES MOINES, IOWA 50319 515.281.5211 FAX 515.725.3527 WWW.GOVERNOR.IOWA.GOV
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GENERAL ASSEMBLY
House File 956
AN ACT
RELATING TO JUDICIAL BRANCH ADMINISTRATION, INCLUDING JUDICIAL
OFFICER RESIDENCY, JUDICIAL OFFICER RETIREMENT AGE, REMOTE
PROCEEDINGS, COURT REPORTER SUPERVISION AND DUTIES, AND
CIVIL PLEADINGS AVAILABILITY, AND INCLUDING APPLICABILITY
PROVISIONS.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
DIVISION I
JUDICIAL OFFICER RESIDENCY
Section 1. Section 602.6201, subsection 2, Code 2025, is
amended to read as follows:
2. A district judge must be a resident of the judicial
election district or a resident of a county contiguous with the
judicial election district in which appointed before assuming
office and must bo a roaidont of the judicial oloction district
during the entire term of office. Subject to the provision
for reassignment of judges under section 602.6108, a district
judge shall serve in the district of the judge's rcaidGncG
appointment while in office, regardless of the number of
judgeships to which the district is entitled under the formula
prescribed by the supreme court in subsection 3.
Sec. 2. Section 602.6305, subsections 1 and 3, Code 2025,
are amended to read as follows:
1. District associate judges shall serve initial terms
and shall stand for retention in office within the judicial
election districts of their rcaidGncea appointment at the
House File 956, p. 2
judicial election under sections 46.16 through 46.24.
3. A district associate judge must be a resident of the
judicial election district or a resident of a county contiguous
with the judicial election district in which the office is held
before assuming office and during the entire term of office.
A district associate judge shall serve within the judicial
district in which appointed, as directed by the chief judge,
and is subject to reassignment under section 602.6108.
Sec. 3. Section 602.6404, subsection 1, Code 2025, is
amended to read as follows:
1. A magistrate shall be a resident of the county of
appointment judicial election district or a resident of
a county contiguous to the county of appointment judicial
election district in which appointed during the magistrate's
term of office. A magistrate shall serve within the judicial
district in which appointed, as directed by the chief judge,
provided that the chief judge may assign a magistrate to hold
court outside of the county or counties of appointment for the
orderly administration of justice. A magistrate is subject to
reassignment under section 602.6108.
Sec. 4. Section 602.7103C, subsections 1 and 3, Code 2025,
are amended to read as follows:
1. Full-time associate juvenile judges shall serve terms
and shall stand for retention in office within the judicial
election districts of their roDidGncGa appointment as provided
under sections 46.16 through 46.24.
3. A full-time associate juvenile judge must be a resident
of the judicial election district or a resident of a county
contiguous with the judicial election district in which the
office is held before assuming office and during the entire
term of office. A full-time associate juvenile judge shall
serve within the judicial district in which appointed, as
directed by the chief judge, and is subject to reassignment
under section 602.6108.
Sec. 5. Section 633.20C, subsections 1 and 3, Code 2025, are
amended to read as follows:
1. Full-time associate probate judges shall serve terms
and shall stand for retention in office within the judicial
election districts of their rGaidcnccs appointment as provided
House File 956, p. 3
under sections 46.16 through 46.24.
3. A full-time associate probate judge must be a resident
of the judicial election district or a resident of a county
contiguous with the judicial election district in which the
office is held before assuming office and during the entire
term of office. A full-time associate probate judge shall
serve within the judicial district in which appointed, as
directed by the chief judge, and is subject to reassignment
under section 602.6108.
Sec. 6. REPEAL. Section 602.11110, Code 2025, is repealed.
DIVISION II
JUDICIAL OFFICER RETIREMENT AGE
Sec. 7. Section 46.14, subsection 1, Code 2025, is amended
to read as follows:
1. Each judicial nominating commission shall carefully
consider the individuals available for judge, and within sixty
days after receiving notice of a vacancy shall certify to the
governor and the chief justice the proper number of nominees,
in alphabetical order. Such nominees shall be chosen by the
affirmative vote of a majority of the full statutory number
of commissioners upon the basis of their qualifications and
without regard to political affiliation. Nominees shall be
members of the bar of Iowa, shall be residents of the state or
district of the court or a county contiguous with the district
to which they are nominated, and shall be of such age that
they will be able to serve an initial and one regular term of
office to which they are nominated before reaching the age of
aovonty-two seventy-eight years. Absence of a commissioner or
vacancy upon the commission shall not invalidate a nomination.
The chairperson of the commission shall promptly certify
the names of the nominees, in alphabetical order, to the
governor and the chief justice by sending by electronic mail
the certification to the governor and chief justice or the
governor's and chief justice's designees on the day of the
nomination.
Sec. 8. Section 602.1610, subsection 1, paragraphs a, b, and
c. Code 2025, are amended to read as follows:
a» The mandatory retirement age ia aovcnty-fivc years for
all justices of the supreme court and district judges holding
House File 956, p. 4
office on July 1# 1065.
b-r The mandatory retirement age is oovonty-two seventy-eight
years for all justices of the supreme court, judges of the
court of appeals, and district judges appointed to office after
July 1065.
e-r- bj_ The mandatory retirement age is aeventy-two
seventy-eight years for all district associate judges,
associate juvenile judges, associate probate judges, and
judicial magistrates.
Sec. 9. Section 602.6305, subsection 2, Code 2025, is
amended to read as follows:
2. A person does not qualify for appointment to the office
of district associate judge unless the person is at the time
of appointment licensed to practice law in Iowa and will be
able, measured by the person's age at the time of appointment,
to complete the initial term of office prior to reaching age
ocvcnty-two seventy-eight. A nominee to the office of district
associate judge must reside in the judicial election district
to which the nominee is nominated or in a contiguous county
to the judicial election district to which the nominee is
nominated.
Sec. 10. Section 602.6404, subsection 2, Code 2025, is
amended to read as follows:
2. A person is not qualified for appointment as a magistrate
unless the person files a certified application form, to
be provided by the supreme court, with the chairperson of
the county magistrate appointing commission. A person is
not qualified for appointment as a magistrate if at the
time of appointment the person has reached age seventy two
seventy-eight.
Sec. 11. Section 602.7103C, subsection 2, Code 2025, is
amended to read as follows:
2. A person does not qualify for appointment to the office
of full-time associate juvenile judge unless the person is
at the time of appointment licensed to practice law in Iowa
and will be able, measured by the person's age at the time
of appointment, to complete the initial term of office prior
to reaching age seventy two seventy-eight. A nominee to the
office of full-time associate juvenile judge must reside in the
House Pile 956, p. 5
judicial election district to which the nominee is nominated
or in a contiguous county to the judicial election district to
which the nominee is nominated.
Sec, 12. Section 602.9202, subsection 4, Code 2025, is
amended to read as follows:
4. "^Senior judge retirement age'' means oovcnty-cight
eighty-four years of age or, if the senior judge is reappointed
as a senior judge for an additional one-year term upon
attaining aovGntyoight eighty-four years of age, and then to a
succeeding one-year term, pursuant to section 602.9203, eighty
eighty-six years of age.
Sec. 13. Section 602.9203, subsection 5, paragraph b. Code
2025, is amended to read as follows:
b. A senior judge may be reappointed to a one-year term
upon attaining seventy-eight eighty-four years of age and to
a succeeding one-year term, at the discretion of the supreme
court, if the judicial officer meets the requirements of
subsection 2.
Sec. 14. Section 633.20C, subsection 2, Code 2025, is
amended to read as follows:
2. A person does not qualify for appointment to the office
of full-time associate probate judge unless the person is
at the time of appointment licensed to practice law in Iowa
and will be able, measured by the person's age at the time
of appointment, to complete the initial term of office prior
to reaching age seventy-two seventy-eight. A nominee to the
office of full-time associate probate judge must reside in the
judicial election district to which the nominee is nominated
or in a contiguous county to the judicial election district to
which the nominee is nominated.
Sec. 15. APPLICABILITY. This division of this Act applies
to judicial officers retiring on or after July 1, 2025.
DIVISION III
MISCELLANEOUS JUDICIAL ADMINISTRATION
Sec. 16. Section 602.1612, subsection 4, Code 2025, is
amended by striking the subsection.
Sec. 17. Section 602.3201, Code 2025, is amended to read as
follows:
602.3201 Requirement of certification — use of title.
House File 956, p. 6
A person shall not engage in the profession of shorthand
reporting unless the person is certified pursuant to this
chapter, or otherwise exempted pursuant to section 602.6603,
subsection 4 3. Only a person who is certified by the board
may assume the title of certified shorthand reporter, or use
the abbreviation C.S.R., or any words, letters, or figures to
indicate that the person is a certified shorthand reporter.
Sec. 18. Section 602.6105, subsection 1, Code 2025, is
amended to read as follows:
1. Courts shall be held at the places in each county
maintaining space for the district court as designated by the
chief judge of the judicial district, or held by remote means
of communication, except that the determination of actions,
special proceedings, and other matters not requiring a jury may
be done at some other place in the district with the consent of
the parties. For the purposes of this subsection, contiguous
counties which have entered into an agreement to share costs
pursuant to section 331.381, subsection 16, paragraph
shall be considered as one unit for the purpose of conducting
all matters except as otherwise provided in this subsection.
Sec. 19. Section 602.6603, Code 2025, is amended to read as
follows:
602.6603 Court reporters.
1. ^ Each district judge shall appoint a The chief judge
of a judicial district or the chief judge^s designee shall have
the authority to supervise, schedule, and assign duties to all
court reporters in the judicial district.
b. Notwithstanding paragraph a judge presiding over a
proceeding that must be reported shall have the authority to
supervise the work of a court reporter while the court reporter
is actively engaged in reporting that proceeding.
c. The chief judge of a judicial district may delegate the
authority set forth in paragraph to the district court
administrator or the district court administrator's designee.
2. The judges of a judicial district shall appoint a
court reporter, subject to approval of the chief judge of the
judicial district or the chief judge^s designee. A court
reporter may be assigned to a district judge or the district
associate judge subject to subsection 1. A court reporter who
House Pile 956, p. 7
shall, upon the request of a party in a civil or criminal case,
report the evidence and proceedings in the case, and perform
all duties as provided by law.
■2-s—Each district asaociatc judge may appoint a court
reporter —aubject to the approval of the chief judge of the
judicial district.
■3-i—If a chief judge of a judicial district dcterminea that
it io neceaaary to employ an additional court reporter because
of an extraordinary volume of worky or becauae of the temporary
illneaa or incapacity of a regular court reporter/ the chief
judge may appoint a temporary court reporter who ahall aerve
aa required by the chief judge.
■4-i- ^ If a regularly appointed court reporter becomes
disabled, or if a vacancy occurs in a regularly appointed
court reporter position, the chief judge or the chief
judge^s designee may appoint a competent^ uncertified
shorthand reporter for a period of time of up to one year,
upon verification by the chief judge that a diligent but
unsuccessful search has been conducted to appoint a certified
shorthand reporter to the position and, in a disability case,
that the regularly appointed court reporter is disabled.
An uncertified shorthand reporter shall not be reappointed
to the position unless the reporter becomes a certified
shorthand reporter within the period of appointment under this
subsection.
•5-r Except as provided in subsection 4- 3, a person
shall not be appointed to the position of court reporter of
the district court unless the person has been certified as a
shorthand reporter by the board of examiners under article 3.
•6-r ^ Each court reporter shall take an oath faithfully
to perform the duties of office, which shall be filed in the
office of the clerk of district court.
^ ^ A court reporter may be removed for cause with due
process by the judicial officer judges making the appointment^
subject to the approval of the chief judge or the chief judge's
designee.
^ If a judge dies, resigns, retires, is removed
from office, becomes disabled, or fails to be retained in
office and the judicial vacancy is eligible to be filled, the
House File 956, p. 8
court reporter appointed by the judge shall serve as a court
reporter, as directed by the chief judge or the chief judge's
designeeT—until—t-he auccessoF—judge appoints a succGssor—court
reporter. The court reporter shall receive the reporter's
regular salary and benefits during the period of time until a
oucceaaor court reporter io appointed or until the currently
appointed court reporter ia reappointed.
Sec. 20. Section 602.8102, subsection 9, Code 2025, is
amended to read as follows:
9. Enter in the appearance docket a memorandum of the date
of filing of all petitions, demurrers, answers, motions, or
papers of any other description in the cause. A pleading of
any description is considered filed when the clerk entered
the date the pleading was received on the pleading and the
pleading shall not be taken from the clerk's office until the
memorandum is made. The memorandum shall be made within two
business days of a new petition or order being filed, and as
soon as practicable for all other pleadings. Thereafter, when
a demurrer or motion is sustained or overruled, a pleading is
made or amended, or the trial of the cause, rendition of the
verdict, entry of judgment, issuance of execution, or any other
act is done in the progress of the cause, a similar memorandum
shall be made of the action, including the date of action and
the number of the book and page of the record where the entry is
made. The appearance docket is an index of each suit from its
commencement to its conclusion.
Sec. 21. Section 602.9206, subsection 1, Code 2025, is
amended to read as follows:
1. Section 602.1612 does not apply to a senior judge but
does apply to a retired senior judge. During the tenure of
a senior judge, if the judge is able to serve, the judge
may be assigned by the supreme court to temporary judicial
duties on courts of this state without salary for an aggregate
of thirteen weeks out of each twelve-month period, and for
additional weeks with the judge's consent. A senior judge
shall not be assigned to judicial duties on the supreme
court unless the judge has been appointed to serve on the
supreme court prior to retirement. While serving on temporary
assignment, a senior judge has and may exercise all of the
House File 956, p. 9
authority of the office to which the judge is assigned, shall
continue to be paid the judge's annuity as senior judge, shall
be reimbursed for the judge's actual expenses to the extent
expenses of a district judge are reimbursable under section
602.1509, may,—if permitted by the assignment order,—appoint a
temporary court reporter» who shall bo paid the remuneration
and reimburaement for actual expenQoa provided by law for a
reporter in the court to which the oenior judge is asaigned,!
and, if assigned to the court of appeals or the supreme court,
shall be given the assistance of a law clerk and a secretary
designated by the court administrator of the judicial branch
from the court administrator's staff. Each order of temporary
assignment shall be filed with the clerks of court at the
places where the senior judge is to serve.
' GRASSLEY /PAT GRASSLEY / AMY SI^LAIR
Speaker of the House President of the Senate
I hereby certify that this bill originated in the House and
is known as House File 956, Ninety-first General Assembly.
UlAMECg^N NELSON
Chief C/erk^9"f the House
%Approved , 2025
KIM
Governor