Environment
No direct effect
Neutral — no direct effect identified.
Benefits
- No material direct effect identified.
Risks
- No material direct effect identified.
StateIowaEnacted
SF 512: A bill for an act relating to statutes of limitations in civil actions.
COMMITTEE ON JUDICIARY
SF 512 status: Enacted — Signed by Governor (updated Jun 2, 2026).
Source
LegiScan
Confidence
High
Analysis basis
LegiScan full bill text
01
What this bill does
Official summary alongside an AI-generated read on where it stands and why.
Overall Score
60OUT OF 100
Score:60/100 civic fit
Risk:Low Risk
Impact:Moderate Impact 40/100
Constitutionality85%
Bipartisan70%
Public opinion50%
Bill summary
What changes
The bill mandates that statutes of limitations in Iowa civil actions can only be modified by the General Assembly, explicitly barring other entities from altering these timeframes.
Who is affected
Litigants, legal practitioners, and the judicial branch in the state of Iowa.
Requirements and enforcement
Ensures that any future changes to the timing allowed for filing lawsuits must occur through the formal state legislative process.
Costs and funding
None identified.
When it takes effect
Effective upon enactment; signed by the Governor on June 2, 2026.
Potential benefits
Provides legal certainty and ensures that procedural deadlines remain within the purview of elected representatives.
Risks and tradeoffs
May limit the courts' ability to manage dockets or procedural timelines in an agile manner.
What is still unknown
The long-term impact on how the legislature manages frequent requests for updates to specific statutory deadlines.
02
Impact analysis
✦ AI analysisModeled effects across six domains, estimated from bill text and comparable legislation.
Economy
No direct effect
Neutral — no direct effect identified.
Benefits
- No material direct effect identified.
Risks
- No material direct effect identified.
Society
No direct effect
Neutral — no direct effect identified.
Benefits
- No material direct effect identified.
Risks
- No material direct effect identified.
Technology Industry
No direct effect
Neutral — no direct effect identified.
Benefits
- No material direct effect identified.
Risks
- No material direct effect identified.
Civic Accountability
Positive outlook
60%
Benefits
- Reinforces legislative authority over civil procedure
- Prevents potential administrative creep in limiting legal rights
- Ensures public visibility via formal legislative process
Risks
- Reduces judicial flexibility in adjusting procedural timelines
- May slow needed updates due to legislative scheduling
- Risk of legislative gridlock preventing necessary statute adjustments
Public Health & Safety
No direct effect
Neutral — no direct effect identified.
Benefits
- No material direct effect identified.
Risks
- No material direct effect identified.
03
How trustworthy & consequential it is
Sourcing already shown above, this is what the analysis found worth flagging.
Source
LegiScan
Official bill text or data from LegiScan.
Confidence
High
Information is complete and verified.
Analysis basis
LegiScan full bill text
Source used for this bill's analysis.
Source note
Legislators may now be the sole point of failure for updating stale or harmful statutes of limitations.
Analysis scope
Does not create new limitations, only clarifies authority over existing ones.
04
Where it stands
Official recordSigned by Governor.
- IntroducedComplete
- CommitteeComplete
- Chamber votesComplete
- Final agreementComplete
- GovernorComplete
- EnactedComplete
05
How it affects your district
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06
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