Title XV, JUDICIAL BRANCH AND JUDICIAL PROCEDURES (Ch. 595 - 686D)

1. The governing body of a municipality may purchase a policy of liability insurance insuring against all or any part of liability which might be incurred by the municipality or its officers, employees, and agents under section 670.2 and section 670.8 and may similarly purchase i…

1. The governing body shall defend its officers and employees, whether elected or appointed and shall save harmless and indemnify the officers and employees against any tort claim or demand, whether groundless or otherwise, arising out of an alleged act or omission occurring with…

The governing body of any municipality may compromise, adjust, and settle tort claims against the municipality and its officers, employees, and agents for damages under section 670.2 or 670.8 and may appropriate money for the payment of amounts agreed upon. [C71, 73, 75, 77, 79, …

As used in this chapter , unless the context otherwise requires: 1. “Act” means an act as defined under section 702.2 . 2. “Convicted” means a finding of guilt, irrespective of imposition or execution of any sentence; a final and valid admission of guilt or a guilty plea; an entr…

1. A perpetrator assumes the risk of and is liable for any loss, injury, or death which results from or arises out of the perpetrator’s course of criminal conduct. A crime victim is not liable for any damages caused by any acts of the victim in defending or attempting to defend a…

No keeper of any hotel, inn, or eating house, nor the owner of any steamboat, shall be liable to any guest for more than one hundred dollars for the loss of or injury to any money, jewelry, articles of gold or silver manufacture, precious stones, personal ornaments, documents of …

1. The limited liability provided in section 671.1 shall not apply where: a. A guest has offered to deliver valuables to the keeper or owner for custody in such metal safe or vault, and b. The keeper or owner has omitted or refused to receive and deposit the valuables in the safe…

The liability of such keeper or owner for loss of or injury to personal property placed by any guest in the keeper’s or owner’s care, other than that described in sections 671.1 and 671.2 , shall be that of a depository for hire. [C24, 27, 31, 35, 39, § 1687; C46, 50, 54, 58, 62,…

In no event shall the liability of such keeper or owner exceed the following amounts: 1. For each trunk and its contents, two hundred fifty dollars. 2. For each valise and its contents, one hundred fifty dollars. 3. For each box, bundle, or package and its contents, fifty dollars…

In case baggage or other personal property of a guest has remained in any hotel, inn, eating house, or steamboat forty-eight hours after the guest has paid the guest’s bill and registered off and the relation of keeper and guest has ceased, such keeper or owner may hold such bagg…

In case baggage or other property has been forwarded to any hotel, inn, eating house, or steamboat, and the owner of such baggage or property does not within forty-eight hours become a guest, such keeper or owner may hold such baggage or property at the risk of the owner. [C24, 2…

No keeper or owner of any hotel, inn or eating house shall be liable by reason of the keeper’s or owner’s liability or responsibility as innkeeper to any guest for the loss of or damage to the automobile or other conveyance of such guest left in any garage not personally owned an…

The liability of the keeper or owner of any hotel, inn or eating house, for the loss of or damage to the conveyance of any guest or the personal property of such guest left in such conveyance, where said hotel, inn or eating house keeper, is the owner and operator of such garage,…

Except as provided in section 671.8 no keeper or owner of any hotel, inn, rooming house or eating house shall be liable for the loss of or damage to the personal property kept therein of any guest, while the said conveyance is in transit between the said hotel, inn, rooming house…

1. A cause of action shall not be brought against a private employer, general contractor, or premises owner for negligently hiring an employee, agent, or independent contractor, based solely on evidence that the employee, agent, or independent contractor has been convicted of a p…

1. This chapter does not preclude a cause of action for negligent hiring based on evidence that the employee, agent, or independent contractor has been convicted of a public offense as defined in section 701.2 , if all of the following criteria are met: a. The private employer, g…

1. As used in this section unless the context otherwise requires: a. “Canned foods” means canned foods that have been hermetically sealed or commercially processed and prepared for human consumption. b. “Charitable or nonprofit organization” means an organization which is exempt …

1. “Claim” means a claim, counterclaim, cross-claim, complaint, or cause of action recognized by the Iowa rules of civil procedure and brought in court on account of damage to or loss of property or on account of personal injury or death. 2. “Domesticated animal” means an animal …

A person, including a domesticated animal professional, domesticated animal activity sponsor, the owner of the domesticated animal, or a person exhibiting the domesticated animal, is not liable for the damages, injury, or death suffered by a participant or spectator resulting fro…

1. A domesticated animal professional shall post and maintain a sign on real property in which the professional holds an interest, if the professional conducts domesticated animal activities on the property. The location of the sign may be near or on a stable, corral, or arena ow…

1. A fair authority is not liable for damages arising from a claim by a participant or spectator alleging injury or death caused by a domesticated animal pathogen transmitted at a domesticated animal premises located on its fairgrounds. This subsection applies regardless of wheth…

A fair authority shall post a warning sign at a conspicuous place on any domesticated animal premises located on the fairgrounds. The warning sign shall be clearly visible to a person visiting the premises for the first time. The sign shall have a white background and the sign’s …

The limitation on legal liability provided in this chapter is in addition to any other limitation of legal liability otherwise provided by law, including as provided in chapters 461C and 673A . 2021 Acts, ch 104, §2

This chapter shall be known and may be cited as the “Iowa Agricultural Tourism Promotion Act” . 2021 Acts, ch 104, §3

1. The general assembly finds all of the following: a. Agriculture is a vital part of this state’s economy, culture, and history. b. An increasing number of Iowans are removed from day-to-day farm life and associated agricultural experiences. c. Agricultural tourism provides a va…

As used in this chapter , unless the context otherwise requires: 1. “Agricultural tourism farm” means a farm to which members of the public are invited to visit by or on behalf of an agricultural tourism farmer or agricultural tourism professional, for the purpose of allowing mem…

1. Subject to the conditions of this chapter , an agricultural tourism farmer, an agricultural tourism professional, or a person engaged in farming the agricultural tourism farm is not liable for any act or omission causing injury, loss, or death suffered by an agricultural touri…

1. In any claim alleging an act or omission causing injury, loss, or death suffered by an agricultural tourist on an agricultural tourism farm, it is an affirmative defense that an agricultural tourism farmer, an agricultural tourism professional, or a person engaged in farming t…

1. As a condition of being able to plead an affirmative defense as provided in section 673A.5 , a notice of the inherent risk of farming must have been provided to an agricultural tourist prior to an alleged injury, loss, or death caused by the agricultural tourism farmer, agricu…

The limitation on liability provided in section 673A.4 and the affirmative defense authorized under section 673A.5 do not apply to the extent that all of the following conditions are met: 1. An injury, loss, or death suffered by an agricultural tourist was caused by the act or om…

A person who has attained the age of majority and who does not have any civil disabilities may apply to the court to change the person’s name by filing a verified petition as provided in this chapter . The verified petition may request a name change for minor children of the peti…

For filing a petition for change of name, the clerk shall collect a fee in the amount collected for filing and docketing a petition under section 602.8105, subsection 1 , paragraph “a” . [S13, §4471-g; C24, 27, 31, 35, 39, § 12651, 12652; C46, 50, 54, 58, 62, 66, 71, §674.7, 674.…

A person shall not change the person’s name more than once under this chapter unless just cause is shown. However, in a decree dissolving a person’s marriage, the person’s name may be changed back to the name appearing on the person’s original birth certificate or to a legal name…

The county recorder and county auditor of each county in which the petitioner owns real property shall collect fees in the amounts specified in sections 331.604 and 331.507, subsection 2 , paragraph “b” , for indexing a change of name for each parcel of real estate. [S13, §4471-i…

The verified petition shall be addressed to the district court of the county where the applicant resides and shall state and provide for each person seeking a name change: 1. The name at the time the petition is filed of the person whose name is to be changed and the person’s cou…

A copy of the petition shall be filed by the clerk of court with the state registrar of vital statistics of the department of health and human services. [C73, 75, 77, 79, 81, §674.3 ] 2023 Acts, ch 19, §1288

A decree of change of name may be granted any time after thirty days of the filing of the petition. [S13, §4471-h; C24, 27, 31, 35, 39, § 12653; C46, 50, 54, 58, 62, 66, 71, §674.9; C73, 75, 77, 79, 81, §674.4 ]

The decree shall describe the petitioner, giving the petitioner’s name and former name, height, weight, color of hair, color of eyes, race, sex, date and place of birth, and the given name of the spouse and any minor children affected by the change. The decree shall also give a l…

1. If the petitioner is married, the petitioner must give legal notice to the spouse, in the manner of an original notice, of the filing of the petition. 2. If the petition includes or is filed on behalf of a minor child fourteen years of age or older, the child’s written consent…

When the court grants a decree of change of name, the clerk of the court shall furnish the petitioner with a certified copy of the decree and mail an abstract of a decree requiring a name change to be reflected on a birth certificate to the state registrar of vital statistics of …

The clerk of the court shall send a certified copy of the decree to the recorder’s office in every county in this state where real property is owned by the petitioner. [S13, §4471-i; C24, 27, 31, 35, 39, § 12656; C46, 50, 54, 58, 62, 66, 71, §674.12; C73, 75, 77, 79, 81, §674.8 ]…

Any new birth certificate issued to a person granted a change of name shall reflect the former name of the person issued the new birth certificate. [C73, 75, 77, 79, 81, §674.9 ; 81 Acts, ch 201, §4 ]

This chapter shall be known and may be cited as the “Religious Freedom Restoration Act” . 2024 Acts, ch 1003, §3, 7, 8

The purpose and intent of this chapter is all of the following: 1. To restore the compelling governmental interest test and to guarantee its application in all cases where the free exercise of religion is substantially burdened by state action. 2. To provide a claim or defense to…

As used in this chapter , unless the context otherwise requires: 1. “Compelling governmental interest” means a governmental interest of the highest order that cannot otherwise be achieved without burdening the exercise of religion. 2. “Exercise of religion” means the practice or …

1. State action shall not substantially burden a person’s exercise of religion, even if the burden results from a rule of general applicability, unless the government demonstrates that applying the burden to that person’s exercise of religion is in furtherance of a compelling gov…