Bill Text: IA HF321 | 2025-2026 | 91st General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: A bill for an act relating to magistrate qualifications.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Introduced) 2025-02-17 - Tabled until future meeting. [HF321 Detail]
Download: Iowa-2025-HF321-Introduced.html
House
File
321
-
Introduced
HOUSE
FILE
321
BY
FISHER
A
BILL
FOR
An
Act
relating
to
magistrate
qualifications.
1
BE
IT
ENACTED
BY
THE
GENERAL
ASSEMBLY
OF
THE
STATE
OF
IOWA:
2
TLSB
2336YH
(1)
91
cm/ns
H.F.
321
Section
1.
Section
602.6404,
subsection
3,
Code
2025,
1
is
amended
by
striking
the
subsection
and
inserting
in
lieu
2
thereof
the
following:
3
3.
A
person
is
not
required
to
be
an
attorney
licensed
to
4
practice
law
in
this
state
as
a
condition
of
being
appointed
to
5
the
office
of
magistrate,
but
a
county
magistrate
appointing
6
commission
shall
first
consider
applicants
who
are
admitted
7
to
practice
law
in
this
state
when
selecting
persons
for
the
8
office
of
magistrate.
9
EXPLANATION
10
The
inclusion
of
this
explanation
does
not
constitute
agreement
with
11
the
explanation’s
substance
by
the
members
of
the
general
assembly.
12
This
bill
relates
to
magistrate
qualifications.
Under
13
current
law,
a
magistrate
is
required
to
be
an
attorney
14
licensed
to
practice
in
the
state
unless
the
magistrate
15
was
holding
office
on
April
1,
2009.
The
bill
removes
the
16
requirement
that
a
magistrate
be
a
licensed
attorney
and
17
provides
that
licensed
attorneys
instead
receive
first
18
consideration.
The
bill
substantively
matches
the
provision
19
in
effect
prior
to
2009.
20
-1-
LSB
2336YH
(1)
91
cm/ns
1/
1
