Senate File 407 - Introduced SENATE FILE 407 BY GARRETT A BILL FOR An Act relating to the membership of district judicial 1 nominating commissions. 2 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 3 TLSB 1025XS (3) 91 cm/ns
S.F. 407 Section 1. Section 46.3, subsection 1, Code 2025, is amended 1 to read as follows: 2 1. The governor shall appoint five six eligible electors 3 of each judicial election district to the district judicial 4 nominating commission. 5 Sec. 2. Section 46.5, subsection 4, Code 2025, is amended 6 to read as follows: 7 4. If a vacancy occurs in the office of chairperson of the 8 state a judicial nominating commission, the members of the 9 commission shall elect a new chairperson as provided in section 10 46.6 . If a vacancy occurs in the office of chairperson of a 11 district judicial nominating commission or in the absence of 12 the chairperson, the members of the particular commission shall 13 elect a temporary chairperson from their own number. 14 Sec. 3. Section 46.6, subsection 1, Code 2025, is amended 15 to read as follows: 16 1. The commissioners of the state a judicial nominating 17 commission shall elect a chairperson from their own number. 18 The chairperson shall serve a two-year term that expires 19 on April 30 of even-numbered years. A commissioner may be 20 reelected for a second or third term as chairperson. If a 21 chairperson of a judicial nominating commission desires to 22 be relieved of the duties of chairperson while retaining the 23 status of commissioner, the chairperson shall notify the 24 governor and the other commissioners of the commission. At the 25 next meeting of the commission, the commissioners shall elect a 26 new chairperson for the remainder of the two-year term. 27 Sec. 4. Section 46.6, subsection 2, Code 2025, is amended by 28 striking the subsection. 29 EXPLANATION 30 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 31 the explanations substance by the members of the general assembly. 32 This bill relates to the membership of district judicial 33 nominating commissions. Under current law, the governor 34 appoints five eligible electors of each judicial district to 35 -1- LSB 1025XS (3) 91 cm/ns 1/ 2
S.F. 407 each 11-person commission. The bill increases the number of 1 electors appointed by the governor to six. 2 Under current law, the most senior judge in the district 3 serves as a commissioner and as the chairperson of that 4 particular district judicial nominating commission. The 5 bill removes the judge from the commission and from being 6 chairperson and requires the members of each district judicial 7 nominating commission to elect a chairperson from their own 8 number. 9 District judicial nominating commissions are responsible for 10 screening applicants and selecting nominees for district court 11 judicial vacancies. There is a nominating commission for each 12 of Iowas 14 judicial election subdistricts. District judicial 13 nominating commissions provide the governor with a slate of 14 two nominees from which to make an appointment to the district 15 court. 16 -2- LSB 1025XS (3) 91 cm/ns 2/ 2