SF2357 • 2026

A bill for an act relating to the rules of statutory construction for the definition of a person.

Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor: CAMPBELL
Last action: 2026-02-17
Official status: Subcommittee: Rozenboom, Drey, and Schultz. S.J. 305 .
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide specific details on how this change will affect existing laws or future situations.

A Bill to Define 'Person' in Laws

This bill changes how the term 'person' is defined and used in Iowa laws.

What This Bill Does

Defines a person as an individual organism of the species homo sapiens from fertilization until natural death whenever the term 'person' is used or implied by context in a law.
Prevents courts from reviewing this specific part of the law.

Who It Names or Affects

People who are involved in interpreting Iowa laws
Courts and judges when they look at cases involving the word 'person'

Terms To Know

statutory construction: The process of understanding and applying laws written by lawmakers.
judicial review: When a court looks at whether a law or action is legal.

Limits and Unknowns

Does not specify how this change will affect existing laws.
It's unclear what specific situations this new definition might apply to in the future.

Bill History

2026-02-17 Iowa Legislature
Subcommittee: Rozenboom, Drey, and Schultz. S.J. 305 .
2026-02-17 Iowa Legislature
Introduced, referred to State Government. S.J. 302 .

Official Summary Text

A bill for an act relating to the rules of statutory construction for the definition of a person.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

Senate

File

2357

-

Introduced

SENATE

FILE

2357

BY

CAMPBELL

A

BILL

FOR

An

Act

relating

to

the

rules

of

statutory

construction

for

the

1

definition

of

a

person.

2

BE

IT

ENACTED

BY

THE

GENERAL

ASSEMBLY

OF

THE

STATE

OF

IOWA:

3

TLSB

5321XS

(9)

91

ak/ko

S.F.

2357

Section

1.

Section

4.1,

subsection

20,

Code

2026,

is

amended

1

to

read

as

follows:

2

20.

Person.

Unless

otherwise

provided

by

law,

“person”

3

means

individual,

corporation,

limited

liability

company,

4

government

or

governmental

subdivision

or

agency,

business

5

trust,

estate,

trust,

partnership

or

association,

or

any

other

6

legal

entity.

“Person”

,

whenever

the

term

is

used

or

implied

by

7

construction

or

context,

shall

include

an

individual

organism

8

of

the

species

homo

sapiens

at

any

stage

of

development

from

9

fertilization

until

natural

death.

This

subsection

shall

not

10

be

subject

to

judicial

review.

11

EXPLANATION

12

The

inclusion

of

this

explanation

does

not

constitute

agreement

with

13

the

explanation’s

substance

by

the

members

of

the

general

assembly.

14

This

bill

relates

to

the

rules

of

statutory

construction

for

15

the

definition

of

“person”.

The

bill

provides

that

whenever

16

“person”

is

used

in

a

statute,

or

implied

by

construction

17

or

context,

the

term

includes

an

individual

organism

of

18

the

species

homo

sapiens

at

any

stage

of

development

from

19

fertilization

until

natural

death.

The

bill

provides

that

such

20

statutory

construction

is

not

subject

to

judicial

review.

21

-1-

LSB

5321XS

(9)

91

ak/ko

1/

1