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STATE OF IOWA
KIM REYNOLDS
GOVERNOR
April 10,2025
The Honorable Paul Pate
Secretary of State of Iowa
State Capitol
Des Moines, Iowa 50319
Dear Mr. Secretary,
I hereby transmit:
Senate File 75, an Act relating to county supervisors, conceming county supervisor
representation plans and county supervisor vacancies, and including effective date
provisions.
The above Senate File is hereby approved on this date.
Sincefely,
of Iowa
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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Senate File 75
AN ACT
RELATING TO COUNTY SUPERVISORS, CONCERNING COUNTY SUPERVISOR
REPRESENTATION PLANS AND COUNTY SUPERVISOR VACANCIES, AND
INCLUDING EFFECTIVE DATE PROVISIONS.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
DIVISION I
PLAN "THREE" COUNTY SUPERVISOR REPRESENTATION PLANS AND SPECIAL
ELECTIONS
Section 1. Section 331.206, subsection 2, paragraph a. Code
2025, is amended to read as follows:
a. The plan used under subsection 1 shall be selected by the
board or by a special election as provided in section 331.207.
A plan selected by the board shall remain in effect for at
least six years and shall only be changed by a special election
as provided in section 331.207. However, a county with the
main campus of an institution of higher learning governed by
the state board of regents shall use plan "three" for the
Senate File 75, p. 2
election of supervisors.
Sec. 2. Section 331.207, subsections 2, 5, and 6, Code 2025,
are amended to read as follows;
2. The petition shall be filed with the county commissioner
by June 1 of an odd-numbered year, subject to subsection -fr 1_,
The special election shall be held on the first Tuesday after
the first Monday in August November of the odd-numbered year.
Notice of the special election shall be published once each
week for three successive weeks in an official newspaper of the
county, shall state the representation plans to be submitted to
the electors, and shall state the date of the special election.
The last in the series of publications shall occur not less
than four nor more than twenty days before the election.
5. If the plan adopted by a plurality of the ballots cast
in the special election represents a change from plan ^^one" to
plan ^^two" or "^three", or from plan ^'two" to plan ^'three", as
each plan is defined in section 331.206, the temporary county
redistricting commission shall divide the county into districts
as provided in sections 331.209 and 331.210. The plan shall
be completed not later than November 1 December 31 following
the special election and shall be submitted to the state
commissioner of elections. The plan shall become effective the
following January 1.
6. Notwithstanding any provision of this section to the
contrary, a county with a population of sixty thousand or
more based on the most recent federal decennial census that
elects supervisors under plan ^three" shall not change from
plan ^three" to plan ^"one" or plan "two" pursuant to a special
election under this section unless a plan "one" or plan "two"
representation plan is adopted by a two-thirds vote of the
ballots cast in the special election. This subsection does not
apply to a county with the main campus of an institution of
higher learning governed by the state board of regents required
to use plan "three" under section 331.206, subsection 2.
Sec. 3. TRANSITION PROVISION.
1. Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary,
a county with the main campus of an institution of higher
learning governed by the state board of regents that does not
Senate File 75, p. 3
use plan "^three" for the election of supervisors, as defined in
section 331.206, as of the effective date of this Act, shall
elect supervisors using plan ^^three" during the 2026 general
election, using a representation plan drawn pursuant to section
331.210A, subsection 2, paragraph ^''f", and the requirements of
this section.
2. A county required to use a representation plan as
provided in this section shall establish a temporary county
redistricting commission by the later of thirty days after the
effective date of this Act or May 15, 2025, and shall complete
a precinct plan, in conformity with the requirements of
sections 331.209 and 331.210A, no later than October 1, 2025.
The precinct plan shall be submitted to the state commissioner
of elections and the legislative services agency shall draw and
publish the representation plan by January 1, 2026.
DIVISION II
COUNTY SUPERVISOR VACANCIES
Sec. 4. Section 43.6, subsection 2, Code 2025, is amended
to read as follows:
2. When a vacancy occurs in the office of county supervisor
or any of the offices listed in section 39.17 and more than
seventy days remain in the term of office following the next
general election, the office shall be filled for the balance
of the unexpired term at that general election unless the
vacancy has been filled by a special election called more
than seventy-three days before the primary election. If
the vacancy occurs more than seventy-three days before the
primary election, political party candidates for that office
at the next general election shall be nominated at the primary
election. If an appointment to fill the vacancy in office is
made in accordance with section 69.14A, subsection 1, paragraph
^3 eighty-eight or more days before the primary election and
a petition requesting a special election has not been received
within fourteen days after the appointment is made, candidates
for the office shall be nominated at the primary election.
Sec. 5. Section 69.14A, subsection 1, paragraph a,
unnumbered paragraph 1, Code 2025, is amended to read as
follows:
By If the population of the county is less than one hundred
Senate File 75, p. 4
twenty-five thousand based on the most recent federal decennial
census and if the county does not include the main campus of
an institution of higher learning governed by the state board
of regents, by appointment by the committee of county officers
designated to fill the vacancy in section 69.8.
Sec. 6. Section 69.14A, subsection 1, paragraph b,
unnumbered paragraph 1, Code 2025, is amended to read as
follows:
By If the population of the county is one hundred
twenty-five thousand or more based on the most recent federal
decennial census or the county includes the main campus of an
institution of higher learning governed by the state board of
regents, by special election held to fill the office for the
remaining balance of the unexpired term.
Sec. 7. Section 331.201, subsection 3, Code 2025, is amended
to read as follows:
3. The office of supervisor is an elective office except
that if a vacancy occurs on the board, a successor may be
appointed to the unexpired term as provided in section 69.14A^
subsection 1, paragraph if the population of the county is
less than one hundred twenty-five thousand based on the most
recent federal decennial census and if the county does not
include the main campus of an institution of higher learning
governed by the state board of regents.
Sec. 8. Section 331.214, subsection 2, paragraph c. Code
2025, is amended to read as follows:
c. If the board declares a vacancy under this subsection and
the remaining balance of the supervisor's unexpired term is two
and one-half years or more, a special election shall be held to
fill the office as provided in section 69.14A, subsection 1,
paragraph ""V, if the population of the county is one hundred
twenty-five thousand or more based on the most recent federal
decennial census or the county includes the main campus of an
institution of higher learning governed by the state board of
regents. However, if the population of the county is less
than one hundred twenty-five thousand based on the most recent
federal decennial census and if the county does not include the
main campus of an institution of higher learning governed by
the state board of regents, an appointment shall be made to
Senate File 75, p. 5
fill the office as provided in section 69.14A, subsection 1,
paragraph
DIVISION III
EFFECTIVE DATE
Sec. 9, EFFECTIVE DATE. This Act, being deemed of immediate
importaiftce, takes effect upon enactment.
AMY SINCLAIR
President of the Senate
PAT GRASSLE?^
Speaker of the House
I hereby certify that this bill originated in the Senate and
is known as Senate File 75, Ninety-first General Assembly.
Approve/(\ 2025
W. CHARLES SMITHSON
Secrytarv*<5J the Senate
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