# Iowa HF 956: A bill for 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. (Formerly HSB 259.) Effective date: 07/01/2025. Applicability date: 07/01/2025. Iowa HF 956, A bill for 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. (Formerly HSB 259.) Effective date: 07/01/2025. Applicability date: 07/01/2025., is a 91st General Assembly (2025–2026) House bill sponsored by COMMITTEE ON JUDICIARY; status signed, last action 2025-05-19 (Signed by Governor.); PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-10-18). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/IA-HF956-2025-2026 - As of: 2026-10-18 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: Iowa HF 956 - State: Iowa - Session: 91st General Assembly (2025–2026) - Title: A bill for 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. (Formerly HSB 259.) Effective date: 07/01/2025. Applicability date: 07/01/2025. - Status: signed - Chamber: House - Introduced: 2025-03-12 - Last action: 2025-05-19, Signed by Governor. - Sponsor: COMMITTEE ON JUDICIARY - Cosponsors: 0 - Subjects: judiciary - Touches household money: yes - Roll calls: 2 (135 yes, 6 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 6 ## Summary No summary available. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - Iowa court filings face fewer delays: benefit, low. Beginning July 1, 2025, filed pleadings no longer must stay in the clerk’s office until a docket note is made. Clerks must mark each pleading with the date received. They must make the docket note within two business days after a new petition or order is filed. For other pleadings, they must make t… - Iowa court reporters get centralized oversight: benefit, low. Beginning July 1, 2025, district chief judges or their designees supervise court reporters, schedule their work, and assign duties. District judges appoint reporters with chief-judge approval; chief judges may delegate general supervision to district court administrators. Presiding judges may super… - Iowa courts can hold proceedings remotely: benefit, low. Beginning July 1, 2025, Iowa courts may hold proceedings remotely instead of at designated locations in each county. Courts do not have to offer remote proceedings. Parties may still agree to hold nonjury cases, special proceedings, and other matters elsewhere in the judicial district. - Iowa judges get broader residency options: benefit, low. Beginning July 1, 2025, district judges may live in their judicial election district or a bordering county before taking office. They serve in their appointment district but no longer must live there throughout their terms. District associate and full-time associate juvenile and probate judges must… - Iowa judges get higher age limits: benefit, low. Beginning July 1, 2025, judicial appointment age limits rise from 72 to 78, and senior judges’ retirement age rises from 78 to 84. Judicial nominees must have time for an initial and one regular term before turning 78. Associate juvenile and probate appointees must finish their initial terms before… - Court reporters lose vacancy pay protection: cost, low. Beginning July 1, 2025, Iowa removes a specific guarantee of regular salary and benefits for court reporters during judicial vacancies. It covered vacancies eligible to be filled after the appointing judge died, resigned, retired, was removed, became disabled, or lost retention. The protection last… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: COMMITTEE ON JUDICIARY ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2025-04-23 | Senate | Passed Senate | pass | 48 | 0 | | | 2025-03-27 | House | Passed House | pass | 87 | 6 | | ## Actions (19) - 2025-05-19: Signed by Governor. (House) - 2025-05-19: Reported correctly enrolled, signed by Speaker and President, and sent to Governor. (House) - 2025-04-24: Message from Senate. (House) - 2025-04-23: Immediate message. (Senate) - 2025-04-23: Passed Senate, yeas 48, nays 0. (Senate) - 2025-04-10: Placed on calendar under unfinished business. (Senate) - 2025-04-03: Placed on calendar. (legislature) - 2025-04-03: Committee report, recommending passage. (Senate) - 2025-04-03: Explanation of vote. (House) - 2025-04-02: Subcommittee recommends passage. (legislature) - 2025-04-01: Subcommittee Meeting: 04/02/2025 9:00AM Senate Lounge. (Senate) - 2025-04-01: Subcommittee: Schultz, Blake, and Taylor. (Senate) - 2025-03-31: Read first time, referred to Judiciary. (Senate) - 2025-03-31: Message from House. (Senate) - 2025-03-27: Immediate message. (House) - 2025-03-27: Passed House, yeas 87, nays 6. (House) - 2025-03-27: Amendment H-1135 adopted. (House) - 2025-03-19: Amendment H-1135 filed. (House) - 2025-03-12: Introduced, placed on calendar. (House) ## Bill text - As Introduced: [PDF](https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/publications/LGI/91/HF956.pdf) - Enrolled: [PDF](https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/publications/LGE/91/HF956.pdf) ## Related bills - HF 2801: A bill for an act modifying the major economic growth attraction program, and including effective date provisions. (Formerly HSB 785.) Effective date: 10/02/20… (signed) - SF 2472: A bill for an act relating to state and local government taxes, fees, financial authority, and budgets, by modifying property assessment provisions, divisions… (signed) - HF 2601: A bill for an act relating to campaign finance, including participation in ballot issue campaigns by foreign nationals and investigations of election misconduc… (signed) - SF 2399: A bill for an act relating to bail and bond amounts and conditions. (Formerly SSB 3162.) Effective date: 07/01/2026. (signed) - SF 2471: A bill for an act relating to fees for lifetime fur harvester licenses. (Formerly SF 2317, SSB 3121.) Effective date: 07/01/2026. (signed) - SF 2299: A bill for an act relating to the district-to-community college sharing or concurrent enrollment program. (Formerly SF 2176.) Vetoed 6-2-26. (vetoed) ## Sources - [As Introduced (PDF)](https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/publications/LGI/91/HF956.pdf) - [Enrolled (PDF)](https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/publications/LGE/91/HF956.pdf) ## Related - [HF 2801: A bill for an act modifying the major economic growth attraction program, and i…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/IA-HF2801-2025-2026) - [SF 2472: A bill for an act relating to state and local government taxes, fees, financial…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/IA-SF2472-2025-2026) - [HF 2601: A bill for an act relating to campaign finance, including participation in ball…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/IA-HF2601-2025-2026) - [SF 2399: A bill for an act relating to bail and bond amounts and conditions. (Formerly S…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/IA-SF2399-2025-2026) - [SF 2471: A bill for an act relating to fees for lifetime fur harvester licenses. (Former…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/IA-SF2471-2025-2026) - [SF 2299: A bill for an act relating to the district-to-community college sharing or conc…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/IA-SF2299-2025-2026) - [Iowa bills](https://policyrisk.com/states/iowa/bills) - [Iowa state hub](https://policyrisk.com/states/iowa) - [All state legislation](https://policyrisk.com/state-bills) Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/IA-HF956-2025-2026 (as of 2026-10-18).