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
explanation’s
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
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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
Iowa’s
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
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91
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2