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SF 256IOWASession 2025-2026State Billpassed chamber

Passed

Iowa Senate File 256 makes acquiesced land boundaries self-executing and protects them from common ownership termination

Original title: A bill for an act relating to disputed land boundaries and corners including acquiesced boundaries and corners.(Formerly SSB 1062 .)

Last action · May 15, 2025: Rereferred to Natural Resources. H.J. 1222 .

Bill progressHistory & official text ↓

Introduced

Committee

Floor Vote

Passed

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What This Bill Would Do

Iowa SF 256 establishes that land boundaries recognized by acquiescence for ten years become permanently established through self-execution, meaning subsequent common ownership of adjacent tracts does not terminate them.

Why it matters

Property owners with established retain those boundary lines even if the same person later acquires ownership of both adjacent parcels, unless a new boundary is recognized for ten years.

Who It Would Affect

Groups the bill's text would affect if enacted, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.

Directly affected

property owners

Property owners retain established land boundaries by acquiescence even if they or a future buyer acquire both adjacent tracts of land.

Key Facts

Boundaries and corners recognized and acquiesced in for ten years shall be permanently established through a self-executing process under Code section 650.14.
Subsequent common ownership of adjacent tracts separated by an acquiesced boundary does not terminate the established boundary and corners.
An established acquiesced boundary continues unless adjoining parties recognize and acquiesce in subsequent boundaries and corners for another ten years.
The bill applies to disputed land boundaries and corners including acquiesced boundaries.

Frequently Asked Questions

What happens if one person buys both adjacent properties that share an established acquiesced boundary?

Under the bill, common ownership of the adjacent tracts does not terminate the previously established acquiesced boundary and corners.

How can an established acquiesced boundary be changed after it is set?

The established boundary continues unless adjoining parties recognize and acquiesce in subsequent boundaries and corners for a period of ten years.

What else do you want to know?

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Where This Stands

Currently passed chamber. The next step in the legislative lifecycle is Law.

Procedural history

23 actions

May 15, 2025House
Rereferred to Natural Resources. H.J. 1222 .
Apr 10, 2025House
Placed on calendar under unfinished business. H.J. 928 .
Apr 2, 2025House
Placed on calendar. H.J. 887 .
Apr 1, 2025House
Committee vote: Yeas, 17. Nays, 4. H.J. 887 .
Apr 1, 2025House
Committee report, recommending passage. H.J. 887 .
Apr 1, 2025Iowa Legislature
Subcommittee recommends passage.

Show 17 earlier actions

Mar 27, 2025House
Subcommittee Meeting: 04/01/2025 8:00AM House Lounge.
Mar 27, 2025House
Subcommittee: Mommsen, Gearhart and Kurth. H.J. 867 .
Mar 19, 2025HouseIntroduced
Read first time, referred to Natural Resources. H.J. 749 .
Mar 19, 2025House
Message from Senate. H.J. 723 .
Mar 19, 2025Senate
Immediate message. S.J. 577 .
Mar 19, 2025SenateFloor
Passed Senate , yeas 47, nays 0. S.J. 574 .
Mar 3, 2025Iowa Legislature
Tabled until future meeting.
Feb 25, 2025House
Subcommittee Meeting: 03/03/2025 12:30PM House Lounge 2.
Feb 25, 2025House
Subcommittee: Mommsen, Gearhart and Kurth. H.J. 428 .
Feb 25, 2025HouseIntroduced
Introduced, referred to Natural Resources. H.J. 426 .
Feb 11, 2025Senate
Committee report, approving bill. S.J. 245 .
Feb 11, 2025SenateIntroduced
Introduced, placed on calendar. S.J. 238 .
Feb 10, 2025Iowa Legislature
Committee report approving bill, renumbered as SF 256 .
Feb 4, 2025Iowa Legislature
Subcommittee recommends passage.
Jan 28, 2025Iowa Legislature
Subcommittee Meeting: 02/03/2025 3:00PM Room 217 Conference Room.
Jan 28, 2025Iowa Legislature
Subcommittee: Sweeney, Rozenboom, and Trone Garriott.
Jan 28, 2025Iowa LegislatureIntroduced
Introduced, referred to Natural Resources and Environment.

Version history

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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.

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