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HF 853 Iowa House · 2025-2026 Regular Session

A bill for an act relating to interpretation of law in administrative and judicial proceedings under the Iowa administrative procedure Act.

HF 853 modifies Iowa's Administrative Procedure Act to change how courts interpret laws in cases involving state agencies. The bill eliminates the current standard where courts defer to agency interpretations when a law's meaning isn't clearly vested in the agency's discretion. Instead, courts must interpret statutes and agency rules "de novo" (without deference) and resolve any remaining ambiguity by favoring interpretations that limit agency authority. This directly affects courts, agencies, and individuals or entities challenging agency actions under Iowa Code Chapter 17A.
Bill status passed 3 of 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Mar 2025
Committee Review
Mar 2026
House Passage
Mar 2026
Senate Passage
Governor
Introduced Mar 7, 2025 Last action Mar 19, 2026
Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

Introduced → Reprinted · 4 edits
MODERATE
This bill was reprinted with substantive amendments that clarify how courts should review agency interpretations of law. The changes distinguish between 'licensing boards' and other agencies, requiring courts to apply different standards of review depending on the type of agency involved. Courts must now interpret statutes de novo for non-licensing boards while giving appropriate deference to licensing boards on matters within their statutory discretion.
Scope change
The bill now specifically distinguishes between 'licensing boards' and other agencies, creating two separate standards of judicial review based on agency type.
REQUIREMENT

Added new definitions distinguishing 'licensing boards' from other agencies, requiring courts to apply different standards of review for each type.

Changed the standard of review so courts must interpret law de novo for non-licensing boards but may give deference to licensing boards on matters within their statutory discretion.

Updated the effective year of referenced Code sections from 2025 to 2026, indicating the bill is intended for the next legislative session.

TECHNICAL

Minor formatting and markup changes including page numbers, bill identifiers, and explanatory text were updated to reflect the reprinted version.

Floor votes · House Mar 17, 2026

How they voted

76–18
Passed · 5 other
Total votes 99
Mar 17, 2026
D Democratic32
11 Yea 18 Nay 3
56% Nay
R Republican67
65 Yea 2
97% Yea
Vote distribution
All Yea All Nay Mixed No data
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
15
Key actions
8
Committee
7
Amendments
2
Mar 19, 2026
Upper · Passed
Subcommittee: Schultz, Blake, and Bousselot.
upper
Mar 17, 2026
Lower · Passed
Passed House, yeas 76, nays 19.
lower
Mar 17, 2026
Lower · Passed
Amendment H-8223 adopted.
lower
Mar 16, 2026
Introduced
Amendment H-8223 filed.
lower
Feb 19, 2026
Lower · Passed
Committee vote: Yeas, 14. Nays, 6. Excused, 1.
lower
Feb 19, 2026
Lower · Passed
Committee report, recommending passage.
lower
Feb 18, 2026
Legislature · Passed
Subcommittee recommends passage.
legislature
Feb 17, 2026
Legislature · Passed
Subcommittee Meeting: 02/18/2026 8:15AM RM 103.
legislature
Feb 17, 2026
Lower · Passed
Subcommittee: Gustoff, Shipley and Wilburn.
lower
Apr 3, 2025
Committee
Referred to Judiciary.
lower
Mar 7, 2025
Introduced
Introduced, placed on calendar.
lower
0 primary · 0 co-sponsors

Sponsors

No sponsor information available.