The civic record
Read. Follow. Verify.Iowa Supreme Court Establishes Specialty Business Court Effective September 2026
Last action · June 2, 2026: Fiscal note .
Track this bill to get notified when it advances a stage. One tap to stop, anytime.
What This Bill Does
Iowa establishes a specialty business court with concurrent district court jurisdiction over complex commercial litigation involving damages of $200,000 or more, intellectual property, internal business affairs, and commercial transactions starting September 1, 2026.
Businesses and commercial litigants involved in high-stakes disputes meeting specific financial or subject-matter thresholds gain a dedicated court system staffed by two full-time judges and specialized settlement procedures.
Who It Affects
Groups the bill's text affects, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
Business entities and commercial litigants
Eligible commercial and business litigation cases can be filed or transferred to a dedicated specialty court with specific judges and settlement procedures.
Judicial branch
The supreme court must establish, staff, assign judges, and submit a comprehensive performance report on the business court by January 1, 2029.
Key Facts
You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.
Frequently Asked Questions
What types of cases can be filed in the business court?
When does the business court become operational?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
Follow the record
Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
Current status: Signed into law.
Procedural history
43 actions- Jun 2, 2026Iowa LegislatureFiscal note .
- Jun 1, 2026SenateEnrolledSigned by Governor . S.J. 1029 .
- May 18, 2026SenateReported correctly enrolled, signed by President and Speaker, and sent to Governor. S.J. 1028 .
- May 2, 2026HouseMessage from Senate. H.J. 1128 .
- May 2, 2026SenateImmediate message. S.J. 987 .
- May 2, 2026SenateFloorPassed Senate , yeas 38, nays 8. S.J. 986 .
Show 37 earlier actions
- May 2, 2026SenateFloorSenate concurred with S-5255 . S.J. 986 .
- May 2, 2026HouseMessage from House, with amendment S-5255 . S.J. 985 .
- May 2, 2026HouseImmediate message. H.J. 1119 .
- May 2, 2026HouseExplanation of vote. H.J. 1159 .
- May 2, 2026HouseFloorPassed House , yeas 79, nays 6. H.J. 1102 .
- May 2, 2026HouseFloorAmendment H-8447 adopted. H.J. 1102 .
- May 2, 2026HouseExplanation of vote. H.J. 1159 .
- May 2, 2026HouseAmendment H-8456 , yeas 8, nays 77, lost. H.J. 1101 .
- May 2, 2026HouseFloorAmendment H-8440 adopted. H.J. 1101 .
- May 1, 2026HouseAmendment H-8456 filed. H.J. 1085 .
- Apr 30, 2026HouseAmendments H-8440 and H-8447 filed. H.J. 1068 .
- Apr 22, 2026HousePlaced on Ways and Means calendar. H.J. 987 .
- Apr 21, 2026HouseCommittee vote: Yeas, 18. Nays, 6. Excused, 1. H.J. 987 .
- Apr 21, 2026HouseCommittee report, recommending passage. H.J. 987 .
- Feb 4, 2026Iowa LegislatureSubcommittee recommends passage.
- Feb 2, 2026Iowa LegislatureSubcommittee Meeting: 02/04/2026 12:15PM RM 102.
- Jan 29, 2026HouseSubcommittee: Nordman, Lundgren and Wilson. H.J. 178 .
- Dec 31, 2025Iowa Legislature* * * * * END OF 2025 ACTIONS * * * * *
- Apr 30, 2025HouseIntroducedRead first time, referred to Ways and Means. H.J. 1080 .
- Apr 29, 2025HouseMessage from Senate. H.J. 1076 .
- Apr 28, 2025SenateImmediate message. S.J. 904 .
- Apr 28, 2025SenateFloorPassed Senate , yeas 50, nays 0. S.J. 903 .
- Apr 28, 2025Iowa LegislatureFiscal note .
- Apr 22, 2025SenateCommittee report approving bill, renumbered as SF 639 . S.J. 860 .
- Apr 22, 2025SenateCommittee report, approving bill. S.J. 860 .
- Apr 22, 2025SenateIntroducedIntroduced, placed on Ways and Means calendar. S.J. 858 .
- Apr 1, 2025Iowa LegislatureSubcommittee recommends amendment and passage.
- Mar 31, 2025Iowa LegislatureSubcommittee Meeting: 04/01/2025 11:00AM Room 217 Conference Room.
- Mar 17, 2025SenateSubcommittee: Bousselot, Bisignano, and Green. S.J. 552 .
- Mar 11, 2025SenateCommitteeReferred to Ways and Means. S.J. 480 .
- Mar 10, 2025SenateCommittee report, approving bill. S.J. 468 .
- Mar 10, 2025SenateIntroducedIntroduced, placed on calendar. S.J. 460 .
- Mar 6, 2025Iowa LegislatureCommittee report approving bill, renumbered as SF 570 .
- Mar 5, 2025Iowa LegislatureSubcommittee recommends passage.
- Mar 4, 2025Iowa LegislatureSubcommittee Meeting: 03/05/2025 2:30PM Room 217 Conference Room.
- Mar 4, 2025Iowa LegislatureSubcommittee: Bousselot, Knox, and Webster.
- Mar 4, 2025Iowa LegislatureIntroducedIntroduced, referred to Commerce.
Version history
Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.
View official text →Lobbying Activity
No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.
Full breakdown
Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Establishment of Dedicated Commercial Docket
Iowa shifts from general district court management of complex commercial cases to a centralized specialty business court with dedicated judges and mandatory written opinions.
Connected Entities
Sources
www.legis.iowa.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance85How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy25Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment5Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz40Current news / social attention level
Publisher tools