Legislation
State: Iowa
Signed: April 10, 2014
Effective: July 01, 2014
Chapter: 1078
SummaryIowa enacts the Uniform Power of Attorney Act (UPOAA), allowing a principal to sign a power of attorney or direct another person to sign the power of attorney in the principal's conscious presence, requiring a power of attorney to be acknowledged before a Notary or notarial officer, granting an acknowledged power of attorney a presumption of genuineness, and providing a statutory power of attorney form.
AffectsAmends Chapter 633B of the Iowa Code.
Changes - Requires a power of attorney to be signed by the principal or in the principal’s conscious presence by another individual, other than any prospective agent, directed by the principal to sign the principal’s name.
- Allows a power of attorney to be electronically signed.
- Provides that the Act applies to all powers of attorney except: (a) a power to the extent it is coupled with an interest of the agent in the subject of the power, including but not limited to a power given to or for the benefit of a creditor in connection with a credit transaction; (b) a power to make health care decisions; (c) a proxy or other delegation to exercise voting rights or management rights with respect to an entity; or (d) a power created on a form prescribed by a government or governmental subdivision, agency, or instrumentality for a governmental purpose.
- Requires a power of attorney to be acknowledged before a Notary or other individual authorized by law to take acknowledgments.
- Prohibits an agent named in the power of attorney from notarizing the principal’s signature.
- Provides that a power of attorney acknowledged before a notarial officer is presumed to be genuine.
- Provides that except as otherwise provided by law, a photocopy or electronically transmitted copy of an original power of attorney has the same effect as the original.
- Provides a power of attorney form.
AnalysisIowa adopts the Uniform Power of Attorney Act published by the Uniform Law Commission. The Act requires a power of attorney to be acknowledged before a Notary Public, and grants a presumption of genuineness to any power of attorney that is. Notaries should take note that the Act also permits a power of attorney to be signed by another person in the principal’s conscious presence if the person is directed to sign by the principal; it does not mention whether this proxy signer may or may not be the person (agent) granted powers of attorney. In line with other states that have adopted the Act, Iowa’s enactment permits a power of attorney to be electronically signed, and by inference, electronically notarized.
Read Senate File 2168.