A bill for an act relating to procedures for, and judicial review of, licensing and including effective date and applicability provisions.

HF 717 is an Iowa legislative bill that updates procedures for licensing decisions and judicial review. It requires licensing criteria for constitutionally protected activities to be written in clear, unambiguous language (otherwise void), sets a 30-day default deadline for agencies to act on license applications (unless extended by mutual agreement), and places the burden of proof on agencies in contested cases. The bill also mandates that courts conducting judicial review must examine all legal questions anew, not defer to agency decisions, and requires agencies to report on the law's impact by January 2026. This applies to all licensing decisions and court reviews starting July 1, 2026, affecting applicants, licensing agencies, and courts.