HF 477 (LSB 2697YH (4) 91)

HOUSE FILE 477

BY  JACOBY

A BILL FOR

An Act relating to the secession of counties.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:

    Section 1.  NEW SECTION.  331.301A  Secession.
   1.  A county may, by adoption of an ordinance, secede from the state of Iowa. Upon the effective date of an ordinance to secede from the state of Iowa, a county shall cease to be a political subdivision of the state for all purposes and the county and the residents of the county shall not be subject to the laws or Constitution of the State of Iowa.
   2.  All property, real or personal, that is owned by the state of Iowa that is located in a county that secedes from the state of Iowa shall remain under the ownership and control of the state of Iowa.
   3.  An ordinance to secede from the state of Iowa shall have an effective date of not less than one year after the date of adoption.
   4.  This section does not apply unless the county has approval from the federal government and another state to become part of the other state, or unless the county has approval from the federal government to become its own state or territory.
EXPLANATION
The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with
the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly.
   This bill allows a county to secede from the state of Iowa by the adoption of an ordinance. A county that adopts an ordinance to secede from the state of Iowa ceases to be a political subdivision of the state for all purposes and the county and the residents of the county shall no longer be subject to the laws or Constitution of the State of Iowa. The bill requires all property, real or personal, that is owned by the state of Iowa and located in a county that secedes from the state to remain under the ownership and control of the state. The bill requires an ordinance to secede from the state of Iowa to have an effective date of not less than one year after the date of adoption. The bill does not apply unless the county has approval from the federal government and another state to become part of the other state, or unless the county has approval from the federal government to become its own state or territory.