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Bill > HF36
IA HF36
IA HF36A bill for an act relating to interpretation of law in administrative and judicial proceedings under the Iowa administrative procedure Act.(See HF 853.)
summary
Introduced
01/14/2025
01/14/2025
In Committee
01/14/2025
01/14/2025
Crossed Over
Passed
Dead
Introduced Session
91st General Assembly
Bill Summary
This bill concerns the interpretation of law in administrative and judicial proceedings under Code chapter 17A, the Iowa administrative procedure Act. Under current law, a court must reverse, modify, or grant other appropriate relief from agency action in specified circumstances if it determines that substantial rights of the person seeking relief have been prejudiced. Such circumstances include agency action based upon an irrational, illogical, or wholly unjustifiable interpretation of a provision of law whose interpretation has clearly been vested by a provision of law in the discretion of the agency. If interpretation of the provision of law has not been clearly vested in the discretion of the agency, the standard of review is instead whether the agency’s interpretation is erroneous. Current law also provides standards for a court regarding the determination of the degree of deference to be given to the view of an agency, based on whether a provision of law has vested the agency with discretion over the matter in question. The bill strikes these provisions and instead provides that a court must reverse, modify, or grant other appropriate relief from agency action based upon an erroneous interpretation of a provision of law. The bill additionally prohibits a court, or a presiding officer in a contested case or other administrative action subject to Code chapter 17A, when interpreting a state statute or a rule or other agency document subject to Code chapter 17A, from deferring to an agency’s interpretation of the statute, rule, or document; the bill instead requires the court or officer to interpret its meaning and effect de novo. The bill requires the court or officer, in an action brought by or against an agency, after applying all customary tools of interpretation, to exercise any remaining doubt in favor of a reasonable interpretation that limits agency authority.
AI Summary
This bill modifies how courts and administrative officers interpret laws and agency regulations in Iowa. Specifically, the bill changes the Iowa Administrative Procedure Act to remove previous standards of judicial review that allowed deference to agency interpretations. Under the new provisions, courts and administrative officers must interpret statutes, rules, and agency documents "de novo," which means they must make a completely independent interpretation without giving weight to how the agency has previously understood the law. When resolving any ambiguity in interpretation, courts and officers are now required to resolve doubts in a way that reasonably limits agency authority. The bill eliminates previous provisions that allowed different levels of judicial deference based on whether an agency had discretionary power to interpret a specific law. This change effectively reduces agency discretion in legal interpretation and gives courts more direct power to review and potentially overturn agency interpretations of laws and regulations.
Committee Categories
Justice
Sponsors (1)
Last Action
Committee report approving bill, renumbered as HF 853. (on 03/07/2025)
Official Document
bill text
bill summary
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bill summary
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bill summary
| Document Type | Source Location |
|---|---|
| State Bill Page | https://www.legis.iowa.gov/legislation/BillBook?ga=91&ba=HF36 |
| BillText | https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/publications/LGI/91/attachments/HF36.html |
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