Robin Opsahl, Brooklyn Draisey, and Cami Koons collaborated on this article, which was first published by Iowa Capital Dispatch. Clark Kauffman and Kathie Obradovich also contributed to this story
Iowa lawmakers took on hundreds of bills in the first six weeks of the 2026 legislative session, though several measures named as top priorities heading into the year, like eminent domain and property taxes, have yet to find consensus.
February 19 was the last day lawmakers met to consider legislation before the first “funnel” deadline of the year. While there are many exceptions, most bills that don’t involve spending, taxes or government oversight must pass through a committee in either the House or Senate in order to stay eligible for consideration.
Senate Majority Leader Mike Klimesh said one of the big takeaways from the start of session was, “there’s a lot of bills.” While there were many bills that were introduced but did not move forward or that did not survive the funnel, Klimesh said he was satisfied with the work accomplished by Republican lawmakers as the session began. He emphasized, however, the bills that survived the first deadline are far from finalized.
“I think for the most part, (the) policy areas that I wanted to see movement in, we’ve seen bills that are introduced,” Klimesh said. “And again, you know, is the process finished? No, it’s not, right. I mean, we’ll negotiate and we’ll have conversations, and what you see moved out of the committee today will look different, probably, when it comes off the floor. That’s the way we work.”
While the Legislature moved forward numerous bills, some of the issues brought up as top priorities when the session kicked off in January have yet to reach a conclusion. One of the topics not subject to the funnel deadline is the issue of property taxes. Three different proposals have been introduced on the subject – House Study Bill 596, the House GOP bill; House Study Bill 563, the governor’s proposal, and Senate Study Bill 3001, Senate GOP bill. All have differing approaches to capping property tax growth and providing limits on property taxes for certain groups like seniors.
While the House’s and Governor Kim Reynolds’ bills were heard during House subcommittee meetings in January, the Senate proposal has yet to receive a meeting.
Klimesh said though the measures have not moved in recent weeks, conversations on property taxes are happening “every day, for the most part,” as the Republican leaders work to find a compromise on how to tackle the issue.
“It’s just a matter of now looking at the modeling, trying to gauge the impacts,” Klimesh said. “I’ve talked about, you know, trying to avoid unnecessarily squeezing the balloon when it comes to services at a local level. And so those things, you know, are all part of the process that we’ll take forward, and as we start to pick and choose pieces from the three different bills.”
House Minority Leader Brian Meyer said while the property tax bills are not subject to the funnel deadline, he said the lack of movement on these bills means there’s still no consensus reached on how to address rising property tax costs.
“I know it’s funnel-proof, but the fact that we have not seen any kind of agreement on property taxes – given the fact that we’re almost halfway through the session – is very interesting to me,” Meyer said. “I don’t know how we’re going to get there on that with so many other things that are still pending in the Legislature.”
Another top issue heading into session was the use of eminent domain in carbon capture pipeline projects – a subject that caused division within the Senate Republican caucus during the 2025 session. The House passed legislation banning the use of eminent domain in these projects early in the session, but the measure was significantly amended during the Senate committee process, and has not been taken up for floor debate.
Democrats criticized the Republican trifecta for not moving on bills they said are important to Iowans during the first funnel deadline related to affordability, improving Iowa’s waterways and health care system.
Meyer said many Democratic bills were not taken up ahead of the funnel deadline on issues impacting Iowa families, while Republicans focused on passing controversial “social issues” legislation.
“We want to get everybody on the record going into the election where you stand on affordability, lowering costs and protecting Iowans’ rights,” Meyer said. “And we won’t be getting votes on these things. Instead, they focus on, again, divisive social issues that have nothing to do with anything that Iowans care about.”
House Democrats plan to pull up some of their bills using House procedures, or by adding these measures as amendments to other bills, to ensure voters know where their elected officials stand on certain issues ahead of the 2026 elections, Meyer said.
Republican committee leaders passed measures related to restricting content available to minors at public libraries, restricting mail-order abortion medication and limiting certain vaccination and immunization requirements for schools.
On public libraries, House Speaker Pat Grassley said he understood there were multiple bills discussed, but that the House GOP caucus plans to focus on finding a path forward to limit minors’ access to obscene or explicit materials in libraries.
“The objective that I think we’re trying to get as House Republicans … if there’s explicit material that needs to be in a different section, that’s something we need to discuss,” Grassley said. “If there’s something that does not involve parental parental notification or parental sign-off for the kind of material that the children are able to see, those are the kind of conversations we want to have. I know there’s a lot of different bills floating around right now. That’s, I think, where the most of our conversation is going to send around as we move forward on that topic.”
Some of the more controversial proposals brought up this session – like a measure that would have entirely banned “elective” abortions – did not survive the funnel, a bill Democratic leaders said they were “happy” to see stall.
Bills that did not pass the funnel can still be revived in various ways, most commonly as amendments to other bills.
Here is a rundown of some notable bills that remain on the table following the funnel deadline – and which bills did not make the cut. Note: Legislative leaders in the Iowa House and Senate could still put some bills on life support by adding companion bills to the unfinished business calendar in both chambers.
WHAT SURVIVED
Agriculture
Emissions lawsuits: House Study Bill 693, now House File 2527, and Senate Study Bill 3133, would limit the ability to sue farmers for greenhouse gas emissions that have had an “alleged actual or potential effect” on the climate. The bills advanced from the agriculture committees in both chambers.
Iowa Farm Act: Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig crafted language for comprehensive ag policy that calls for increased biosecurity, expansions to the Choose Iowa program and various tax relief measures for farmers. Senate Study Bill 3123 advanced February 19 and the House version of the bill, House File 2340, was advanced by the House Agriculture Committee, with an amendment, and referred to the House Ways and Means Committee.
Raw milk and farm-to-table events: House File 2444 would create an event permit for farm-to-table events, allow cottage foods to be sold in grocery stores and allow raw milk to be sold at on-farm stores. The bill advanced from a subcommittee February 18, and was advanced from the House Agriculture Committee the next day.
Right to repair: The House Agriculture Committee advanced two bills aimed at farmers’ right to repair their own equipment. House File 2529, formerly House Study Bill 684, pertains specifically to diesel engine equipment and stipulates that manufacturers must allow for the disabling of diesel emission systems so farmers can repair equipment. House Study Bill 751 covers all agricultural equipment and would require manufacturers to sell tools and diagnostic software to farmers or independent repair shops.
Shellfish: Lawmakers seek to add shellfish as an individual category to animal feeding operation code with House File 2534 and Senate File 2337, both of which advanced from their committees.
Soybean foam: Senate Study Bill 3099, now Senate File 2375, would require local fire districts to consider using a soybean-based firefighting foam in an effort to reduce firefighter and environmental exposure to the forever chemicals present in traditional firefighting foams. The bill advanced from the Senate Local Government Committee.
Commerce
Community solar: House Study Bill 629 would allow small solar fields to connect to the grid so that community members who chose to invest in their local solar field could receive credits on their utility bills based on the size of their investment and amount of electricity generated. The Senate version of the bill, Senate Study Bill 3092, was advanced from a subcommittee but not from the chamber’s commerce committee.
Data center regulations: Data centers in Iowa would be required to submit regular reports on water and energy usage under House File 2447. The bill, which advanced with full support from the House Commerce Committee, would also require utilities to put data centers in a separate class of customers so that the cost of powering data centers is not passed on to other customers.
Grid enhancement: House File 2283 would task utility companies with conducting periodic feasibility studies into grid-enhancing technologies, or mechanisms to get more power to flow through the systems.
Innovation funds: Senate Study Bill 3180 would require state universities to invest 1 percent of their endowment funds in one or more innovation funds established by the state, with the decisions of which funds the money will go to, when investments are made and how they are made left up to the institutions. The Iowa Board of Regents would be able to grant one-year waivers to the investments in certain situations, but if a university is noncompliant without receiving a waiver, the board would be able to withhold 0.5 percent of funds appropriated to the school by the board until compliance is reached.
Republican State Senator Mike Bousselot told the Iowa Senate Commerce Committee when introducing the bill on February 19 that state universities “are creating tremendous value in intellectual property and ideas and research that can be capitalized on, and when they’re capitalized (on), they create companies that create jobs and that create wealth and opportunity for our state.”
Land restoration for transmission lines: House Study Bill 526, now House File 2227, would hold electric transmission line owners responsible to repair tile drains, till impacted soil and reseed cover crops or other ground cover in the easement area following construction. The bill advanced unanimously from the House Commerce Committee.
Penny phaseout: Senate Study Bill 3143 would allow cash transactions to round down to the nearest five-cent mark for amounts ending in one, two, six or seven cent, and rounding up to the nearest five-cent number for transactions ending in three, four, eight or nine cents. If the total amount of a transaction or payment is one or two cents, this cost would automatically become five cents. The measure would not make changes to transactions or payments made through other methods, like checks, credit cards, electronic fund transfers or gift cards.
Silver and gold as tender: House File 2311 would require the state treasurer to establish a bank for silver and gold so that Iowans could use the precious metals as legal tender in the state. The bill advanced from the House Commerce Committee February 18. A version of the bill was introduced in the Senate, but Senate File 2195 did not have a scheduled subcommittee hearing.
Standard siting for renewable energy: House File 2580 would create standard language for counties to adopt related to setbacks, moratoriums, property tax and other considerations related to renewable electric power generation facilities. Lawmakers said the bill, which advanced from the House Commerce Committee, would help Iowa to meet its energy goals.
Education
Antisemitism at schools: House File 2544 would require the Iowa Board of Education to publish an annual antisemitism report, identifying “each complaint or incident of antisemitism” and outcomes of investigations, at regents universities, community colleges and public school districts. The bill would use the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s working definition of antisemitism to define these claims, which Democrats said could lead to students protesting Israel or Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu being characterized as antisemitic.
Athletic scrimmages: Senate File 2392 would allow public and nonpublic schools to hold athletic scrimmages with home school sports organizations, as long as the event is voluntary, agreed upon with a written agreement and limited in its duration and intensity. The scrimmage could not have official scorekeeping or play-by-play announcements and would not apply to regular season athletic statistics. The Iowa Senate Education Committee approved the legislation February 18.
Banned concepts: Republican State Senator Sandy Salmon told the Iowa Senate Education Committee February 18 that Senate File 2405 closes loopholes in current law prohibiting certain defined concepts in public school education and would allow school district residents to file civil suit against their district for violating Iowa without needing to demonstrate harm done to the complainant.
Behavioral issues: Senate File 2404 would establish a pilot program in the Department of Education allowing a rural school district and urban school district to develop attendance centers that would offer educational services to certain students with special education needs or with behavioral issues. Republican State Senator Kerry Gruenhagen told the Iowa Senate Education Committee February 18 he expects an amendment to be filed addressing how the pilot program would be funded.
Board of Educational Examiners citizenship checks: One of the measures introduced in the aftermath of the immigration arrest of former Des Moines Public Schools superintendent Ian Roberts, Senate File 2218 would direct the Iowa Board of Educational Examiners to have applicants for new and renewing educational licenses provide information about their lawful presence in the country, and to submit proof of their legal presence and work eligibility to the board every five years to remain licensed. Public and charter school boards, as well as authorities in nonpublic schools, would be required to verify the identity and work eligibility of people who accept job offers at their schools.
Cameras in special education classrooms: House File 2218 would require special education classrooms in public and charter schools to have video recording systems, paid for by school districts from the state School Foundation Aid. These cameras and the recordings created would have to follow state and federal privacy laws. Lawmakers indicated in the House Education Committee the measure will likely be amended, including more information about the definitions of “special education classroom” and making changes to how this measure would be funded.
Cardiac emergency response: Senate File 2390 seeks to establish an Iowa Department of Education competitive grant program for school districts to use in developing cardiac emergency response plans focused on athletic events and physical education. Republican State Senator Lynn Evans told the Iowa Senate Education Committee in its February 18 meeting he is waiting to receive data on how many schools have automated external defibrillators and hopes to have it before the bill comes up for debate.
Charlie Kirk: House File 2512 proposes having the Iowa BOEE disqualify applicants and revoke licenses or certificates for people identified as “publicly celebrating any act of politically motivated violence, including the unlawful killing of Charles J. Kirk.” The measure would be effective retroactively, beginning September 10, 2025, the day Kirk was fatally shot.
The measure was amended by the House Education Committee to also include language requiring school boards to extend their school calendar by one day for each day a student protest occurs at any school in the district. The proposal would also require education licenses to be revoked for teachers and administrators “leading or encouraging” student protests.
Charter schools: Education committees in both the House and Senate approved measures, Senate File 2175 and House Study Bill 676, related to charter school funding changes. The measure would add costs for the teacher salary supplement state cost per pupil to payments to charter schools. The measure would also require more athletic and extracurricular activities to be available to charter school students within the public school districts where they reside.
There are some differences between the two measures – the Senate bill would also require charter school teachers be included in the Iowa Public Employee Retirement System, and would establish charter school boards as local education agencies to receive federal funding. The House measure would also direct funding from public schools to charter schools related to Area Education Agencies services, including special education and media services.
Senate File 2406, formerly Senate Study Bill 3170 and proposed by Reynolds, also tackles charter schools and includes many of the same sections as the other Senate and House bills.
Civics education: Bills to expand civics education in public higher education have passed out of the Iowa House Higher Education Committee and Senate Education Committee. Senate File 2232 and House File 2361 would require state universities to include three-credit-hour courses in U.S. history and government in general education standards.
The Center for Intellectual Freedom at the University of Iowa, Center for Cyclone Civics at Iowa State University and Center for Civic Education at the University of Northern Iowa would designate courses that fit the new requirements, the bill stated, and develop lecture and debate series.
Classic Learning Test: House File 2339 would require the Iowa Board of Regents to include the Classic Learning Test in its regent admission index, joining the ACT and SAT as factors in admission to Iowa’s public universities. For students who don’t qualify through the index, the bill states universities can only factor “merit and likelihood of employment in Iowa after graduation” in their admission decision. The legislation has passed out of subcommittee and the Iowa House Higher Education Committee.
Classroom removal: Senate File 2044 would require school attendance centers to form review committees to determine whether a student removed from the classroom should be returned to it, with the ability to override teacher consent if a student’s disruptive behavior was nonviolent. Students removed from the classroom would be placed with the principal or other designated person, and if the incident that led to the removal was violent, the teacher’s consent would be required to bring the student back in. The legislation was approved by the Iowa Senate Education Committee February 18.
Closing U.S. Department of Education: Senate Joint Resolution 2012 passed out of the Iowa Senate Education Committee February 18. It supports federal efforts to close the U.S. Department of Education and encourages Congress to cooperate with the elimination.
Community college bachelor’s degrees: House File 2649, as amended, would establish a pilot program in which community colleges would be allowed to offer certain baccalaureate degree programs as long as they are located at least 50 miles away from public or private universities that offer that same program. The new degrees would need to be not entirely online, be categorized in one of eight academic areas and lead to high-demand and unmet state workforce needs.
While Iowa’s community colleges have signaled their support for the legislation, private higher education institutions and their advocates have expressed to Iowa lawmakers that, if the bill passes, it could lead to the closure of colleges and universities in the state.
Continuing education: House File 2246 would prohibit state licensing boards, including the Iowa Board of Education and Iowa Supreme Court, from requiring continuing education credits not directly related to their profession unless otherwise required by law. An amendment approved by the Iowa House Higher Education Committee added language stating someone wanting to take the bar exam is not required to have graduated from an American Bar Association-accredited law school.
Course framework: Senate File 2391 would require the Iowa Department of Education, in cooperation with Iowa community colleges and the Iowa Board of Regents, to establish “statewide lower division general education framework and common course numbering systems” for community college coursework. Community colleges would also need to replace “traditional, prerequisite remedial coursework” in English and math with “corequisite developmental education,” the bill stated. It also saw approval from the Iowa Senate Education Committee February 18.
Credit transfers: House File 2547, renumbered from House Study Bill 572, would expand credit transfers for career and technical education, change career academy rules and establish a fund, no matter if money is appropriated to it or not, for students taking community college credit courses outside of the school year in areas relating to high-demand jobs. The legislation, supported by both Republicans and Democrats in the House Higher Education Committee, was amended to ensure the credits won’t harm a student’s access to financial aid.
DEI in private universities: House File 2488, formerly House Study Bill 537, would prohibit private colleges and universities from opening or maintaining offices of diversity, equity and inclusion if they want to continue their participation in the Iowa Tuition Grant program. The bill moved out of subcommittee February 9 and committee February 11.
Dress codes: Public schools would have minimum dress codes under House File 2486which would require school boards adopt policies setting dress code standards for public and charter schools. At minimum, students would be required to dress in clean clothes in good repair, which do not expose “undergarments or midriffs” or have language, symbols or images promoting illegal activities. Boards would have to set standards for enforcement, including “clear consequences for violations,” and could choose to adopt more restrictive dress codes, such as a school uniform policy. Democrats said the proposal could negatively impact low-income students.
Education reporting: Senate File 2407, renumbered from Senate Study Bill 3164 would update reporting requirements for Iowa Workforce Development and the Iowa College Student Aid Commission and create an “annual condition of education report” made up of consolidated reports on online learning, achievement gaps and other information. The bill passed out of the Senate Education Committee February 18.
Endowment tax: House File 2240, as amended by the Iowa House Higher Education Committee, would impose a tax on university endowments housing more than $500 million at a rate equaling the highest corporate income tax rate, identified in the bill as currently 7.1 percent. Institutions that would be impacted by the bill if it is signed into law include Grinnell College, Iowa State University and the University of Iowa. After passage by the higher education committee, the legislation was referred to the House Ways and Means Committee.
Firearms in vehicles: Parents would be able to keep legal firearms in their car while dropping off or picking up students on school grounds through House File 621. The bill would require the weapon to remain in a person’s vehicle, and for that vehicle to be locked if unattended. The measure also makes a change to allow weapons and ammunition to be carried in the passenger compartment of school vehicles, which education advocates said would allow school trap shooting teams to travel on school buses to events with their firearms.
Free speech: Senate File 2300 and House File 2336 would ban schools from discriminating or penalizing students for religious, political or ideological speech. It also states students must be able to express certain viewpoints on issues without facing consequences when viewpoints from “similarly situated students” are not punished.
Gender and sexuality in K-12 materials: The state’s current ban on programs, material, instruction, surveys and questionnaires and “promotion” related to gender identity and sexual orientation for K-6 students would be expanded to include all grades under House File 2338. The 2023 law setting the ban for K-6 students is currently blocked from enforcement as the measure faces legal challenges.
General education review: House File 2487 would, as amended by the Iowa House Higher Education Committee February 11, require the Iowa Board of Regents to review all general education requirements and core curricula at state universities for diversity, equity and inclusion or critical race theory-related content. The board “in its discretion” would then direct institutions to eliminate courses or course requirements, the bill stated.
H-1B visas: House File 2513, formerly House Study Bill 536, passed out of subcommittee and committee February 11, would, as amended, prohibit public universities from entering employment contracts with federal H-1B visaholders who are citizens of China or other “federally designated foreign adversaries,” Republican State Representative Skyler Wheeler said during the committee meeting. These adversaries include Russia, Iran, Cuba, North Korea and Venezuela.
Immunization requirements: House File 2171 would eliminate immunization requirements for Iowa K-12 students in order to attend school.
Law student loan repayment: House File 2331, passed by the Iowa House Higher Education Committee February 4 and then introduced to the House Appropriations Committee, would establish a loan repayment program for University of Iowa College of Law graduates who practice in the state. Eligible graduates would receive up to $10,000 per year for six years, not to exceed the total balance of their loans. Priority would be given to graduates practicing in rural areas of the state.
A previous version of the legislation would have placed an 80 percent residency requirement in the college of law, but was amended to its current form by the higher education committee.
Loan liability: House File 2241 would make public universities liable for portions of students’ defaulted educational loans, with an amendment from the Iowa House Higher Education Committee dropping the liability from 25 percent to 10 percent of the amount owed.
Library agreements: House File 2324 bans public and charter schools from entering contracts with public libraries to host “bookmobiles,” or mobile libraries, on school grounds. It also includes a ban on agreements allowing students to use their school ID cards to access public library materials. Republican lawmakers said they would work to address issues brought up with the bill in a subcommittee about schools that have agreements with public libraries because they do not have school libraries in their buildings.
Pediatric cancer research: House File 2310 would provide a standing appropriation of either $1 per Iowa resident or $3 million to the Iowa Board of Regents for pediatric cancer research at the University of Iowa. Having passed unanimously in subcommittee and the Iowa House Higher Education Committee, the bill has been referred to the House Appropriations Committee.
Performance-based funding: House File 2243 would have the Iowa Board of Regents study potential implementation of a performance-based funding model that must include factors like graduation rates, how many awarded degrees correspond to high-demand jobs in Iowa and post-graduation outcomes. The Iowa House Higher Education Committee approved the bill January 28.
Presidential searches: House File 2245 would, as amended, would require university presidential search committees be made up of community stakeholders including one student, one faculty senate member, one staff member and one alumni foundation or public member. The legislation would also keep candidates’ identities confidential unless a written agreement is made. An amendment filed after the bill’s passage would allow a candidate’s identity to be made public if all voting committee members agree.
Residency requirement: House File 2226 would set an 80 percent residency requirement in the University of Iowa’s bachelor of science in nursing program and require the program to have priority admission for Iowa residents. It passed through subcommittee on January 21 and committee one week later.
School reorganization incentives: Senate File 2403, formerly Senate Study Bill 3146 would extend the reduced uniform levy incentive for school districts that reorganize from July 2024 to July 2031 and establish a new incentive in which school districts that enact whole-grade sharing and study reorganization or dissolution could “receive a weighting of one-tenth of the percentage of a student’s school day during which the student” attends another school district’s courses, is taught by a teacher from another district or is taught by a jointly employed instructor.
Social studies: Senate File 2413, as amended by the Iowa Senate Education Committee February 18, would require students in seventh and eighth grade to receive instruction on U.S. government lasting at least one-half semester. House File 2244, also touching on civics education, passed through the Iowa House Education Committee with a section requiring high schools teach civics in government courses and that those courses last an entire academic year.
Trump higher education compact: House File 2489 would require public universities to join the Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education, a compact created by President Donald Trump and his administration. The legislation moved out of subcommittee February 4 and committee February 11.
Tuition freeze: Legislation to freeze tuition for first-year resident state university students have passed out of committees in both chambers. Senate File 2227 and House File 2362 would require universities to keep resident undergraduate tuition at the same level as the amount they paid in their first year of attendance, with certain exceptions, starting in 2027.
House File 2242, also passed out of the Iowa House Higher Education Committee, would freeze tuition for all resident undergraduate students at state universities until July 2031.
Vaccinations: Senate File 2095, amended and passed by the Iowa Senate Education Committee February 18, would require private colleges and universities with clinical rotation programs to find a rotation placement for students to be exempt from any vaccination requirements put in place by the host of their rotation placement.
Health care
Abortion medication: House File 2563 would require abortion medications like mifepristone to be administered or prescribed in person, limiting telehealth and mail-order medication options from providers outside the state. The measure would also require doctors dispensing drugs inducing abortions to share information with patients about the possibility of reversing “the intended effects of a chemical abortion,” information advocates with medical organizations said was not scientifically accurate. The Senate proposal, Senate Study Bill 3115, was not brought before the Senate Judiciary Committee before the funnel deadline, but the House bill advanced.
Conversion therapy: The state’s “child abuse” and “child endangerment” definitions would have exemptions for issues related to a parent not choosing to affirm their child’s gender identity if it differs from their gender at birth under House File 2557. In addition to these definitions, issues related to gender dysphoria could also not be considered during foster parent licensing or adoptive parents and custody during divorce proceedings.
The exceptions created through the bill would deal with a parent’s “intent to raise, guide or instruct a child in a manner consistent with the child’s sex,” which could include actions like refusing to refer to a child by a name or pronoun differing from their assigned sex at birth or not consenting to a child receiving gender-affirming medical care. It would state parents “seeking and consenting to a mental health service for a child for the purpose of helping the child live a life consistent with the child’s sex” could not have their actions fall under the definition of child abuse or endangerment, with LGBTQ rights advocates said would allow parents to pursue “conversion therapy” practices disavowed by many medical organizations.
Governor’s ‘MAHA’ bill: House Study Bill 694 was proposed by Reynolds to codify restrictions on Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program eligible food items, make ivermectin accessible over the counter and prohibit food dyes in school meals. The bill originally included provisions to increase the tax on tobacco, vape and hemp products, but lawmakers recommended an amendment to separate that section from the bill. The bill was advanced and amended from the House Health and Human Services Committee. The bill’s companion, Senate Study Bill 3130, did not have a subcommittee hearing.
HPV vaccine: Senate File 304 would remove a current exception in Iowa law that allows minors to consent to vaccinations related to the prevention, diagnosis or treatment of sexually transmitted diseases or infections without their parent’s or guardian’s permission. This change would mean minors would need parental consent to receive the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine and the Hepatitis B vaccine.
Medicaid employment eligibility: Senate File 2315 makes multiple changes to eligibility for Medicaid coverage for people with disabilities who are employed. The measure loosens the income restriction for receiving Medicaid benefits from 250 percent of the federal poverty line to 300 percent FPL for people receiving health coverage through this part of the state’s Medicaid program. The measure also exempts pension accounts from accountable income when determining Medicaid eligibility, and strikes both a cap on premium payments for people with incomes 150 percent or above the FPL and a previous limitation on the presumption that a person will remain eligible for coverage through this program. The measure was passed by the Senate Health and Human Services Committee with bipartisan support, with lawmakers saying the changes will allow more Iowans with disabilities to work without having to sacrifice their access to health care.
Nitrous oxide: House File 2504 bans the distribution of nitrous oxide containers by vape stores, even for foods like whipped cream, under the rebuttable presumption that these products are being sold with the intent to allow for the unlawful consumption of nitrous oxide as an inebriating substance. The measure was amended from a previous version which would have required businesses to have a permit from the Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals and Licensing to sell nitrous oxide, and requires permit holders maintain a log of sales.
Subacute mental health care: Several of the issues brought up during a January Subacute Mental Health Care Services Interim Study Committee meeting would be addressed through House File 2543 and Senate File 2202, companion bills that aim to expand treatment and coverage for people who need in-person, intensive mental health care outside of emergency hospitalization situations. The bill proposes eliminating current requirements for subacute mental health care to be limited to a 10-day period outside of Iowa Department of Health and Human Services approval, as well as banning preauthorization requirements for being admitted to a facility for this care for the first 15 days of treatment. Managed Care Organizations (MCOs) would also be limited on periods when they can review the “medical necessity” of a resident’s treatment to once per month after the initial and 45-day review.
State government
Affirmative action: House Study Bill 668 is a proposal removing many of the affirmative action and equal opportunity initiatives currently required for state and educational entities under Iowa law. These affirmative action plans and reports would be eliminated for bodies including the Iowa departments of Education and Administration, judicial branch, Board of Regents, community colleges and school districts.
Budget shutdowns: Senate File 2388 proposes a continuing appropriation in fiscal years where the Legislature fails to pass and present a budget on or before July 1, the beginning of a fiscal year. The continuing appropriation would be based on funding levels from the immediately preceding fiscal year, as determined by Iowa Department of Management, in consultation with the Legislative Services Agency. This would prevent state government shutdowns in situations where the Iowa General Assembly is unable to reach a compromise between lawmakers or with the governor.
Commercial volumes: The volume of commercials is already restricted federally for TV stations and cable providers. But there’s no such regulation for commercials on streaming services – an oversight Senate File 2294 aims to address. This measure, which received bipartisan support, would state commercial advertisements on video streaming services cannot be transmitted “at an audio volume louder than the audio volume of the video programming or video content the advertisement accompanies” to Iowa consumers.
Drug-free homeless zones: House File 2584, a policy proposal brought forward by the Cicero Institute, an Austin, Texas-based nonprofit, would establish “drug-free zones” at homeless shelters and other support facilities in Iowa. This measure would ban people from “intentionally or knowingly” selling and distributing controlled substances within a 300-foot zone of the facility, and people charged with these crimes within the “drug-free zones” would face higher penalties.
Additionally, the measure creates an aggravated misdemeanor charge for the person operating the facility, when the operator “allows” an individual to possess or use a controlled substance on the facility’s premises. Those charged under this provision would be ineligible for state homelessness assistance grants for three years after their conviction.
Speakers at the subcommittee meeting on the bill said there were multiple issues with the measure, including the language restricting “controlled substances” – which could include prescribed medications – as well as with facility operators being potentially held liable for crimes committed by people within the 300-foot zone, but who are in nearby private residences or businesses. Lawmakers said they would consider an amendment to address these issues.
Early Childhood Iowa: House Study Bill 623 and Senate Study Bill 3111 would make major changes to the state’s current Early Childhood Iowa system, moving funding for home visitation services to assist parents with children ages 0-5 in the ECI “School Ready Fund” to control through the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services. Other funding going to ECI boards would remain as-is. HHS officials said this change would allow the state to draw down more federal funding, though some advocates who opposed the measure said this change would shift the funding to serving a different population – minors at risk of entering the foster care system, between ages 0-19.
The measure was significantly altered from the initial proposal, which would have repealed the ECI system altogether and replaced it with the Early Childhood and Family Services (ECFS) system, based on the seven regions laid out in the state’s Behavioral Health Services System established in 2024.
The bill also includes language permanently establishing the state’s child care assistance program, which reimburses parents who are employees at child care facility or child care home for the cost of their own child care. A measure specifically focused on this provision, House File 2514, also survived the funnel deadline.
E-Verify, SAVE: Following the arrest of former DMPS superintendent Ian Roberts, Reynolds issued an executive order requiring state agencies to use the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) database and E-Verify system to verify the citizenship status and work eligibility of applicants for state government jobs and for state licenses. House File 2608 would codify this executive order in state code.
The bill, brought forward by the governor, would also make other changes related to law enforcement for immigrants, including denying bail for undocumented immigrants arrested for crimes higher than a simple misdemeanor – a presumption that can be challenged – and increasing penalties for election misconduct.
Iowa City Research Center: Senate File 2293 allows the Iowa Department of Administrative Services to close the State Historical Society of Iowa Research Center in Iowa City by removing the requirement in current code to maintain an Iowa City center. The measure comes as Iowa DAS has already announced plans and taken steps toward closing the center – actions challenged by a lawsuit from a group of historians, archivists and donors pointing to the section of Iowa Code that would be changed by this bill.
An opposing measure, House File 2025, was introduced by a bipartisan group of House lawmakers requiring DAS to maintain both Iowa City and Des Moines facilities that are “adequately staffed” and “open to the public.” This measure was not scheduled for a subcommittee meeting and did not survive the funnel.
Library requirements for Enrich Iowa: House File 2622 adds new requirements for public libraries to be eligible for Enrich Iowa, the state funding stream for libraries. The measure would require public libraries to enforce “age appropriate” policies prohibiting minors from accessing materials deemed inappropriate. “Age appropriate” is defined as materials with “topics and messages suitable to particular ages based on developing cognitive, emotional, and behavioral capacity typical for the age,” and excludes materials with descriptions or visual depictions of sex acts.
The measure also would require libraries to allow parents and guardians to access the records of what their child has requested or checked out from the library.
The measure also would make local library boards advisory bodies, and would transfer the administrative, financial, oversight and policy authority of library boards of trustees to the governing body of the jurisdiction where the library is located – in most cases, the local city council. The advisory board would still be required to review whether library materials are “age appropriate,” but if a book is challenged, the city council must vote to affirm or reverse the decision.
Local civil rights codes: Local governments could not implement civil rights protections for groups not protected under the state Civil Rights Act under House File 2541, proposed by Gov. Kim Reynolds. The proposal comes as Iowa was the first state in the nation to remove a group from civil rights protections in state code when lawmakers struck “gender identity” as a protected class against discrimination in 2025. There are currently 13 cities in the state, alongside unincorporated areas of Johnson County, to enact local measures providing civil rights protections on the basis of gender identity which would be impacted by this measure.
Local identification cards: Local governments would not be able to issue community ID cards under House File 2296, while still allowing for the issuing of employee IDs as well as for authorized counties to issue other forms of identification like driver’s licenses, nonoperator’s identification cards and identification devices for persons with disabilities. The measure would specifically impact Johnson County’s community ID program.
NFL stadiums: As the Chicago Bears look to leave Soldier Field, Senate File 2252 proposes incentivizing the team to move to Iowa by offering financial incentives. The bill would extend Major Economic Growth Attraction (MEGA) program incentives, aimed at attracting projects with $1 billion in capital investment, for the building of a National Football League stadium in Iowa.
Places of worship: An Iowa governor would not be able to order the closure of places of worship, even during public health crises or other disaster emergency situations, under House File 2145. The measure is one of several that comes as Iowa is set to have a new governor after the 2026 election, as Reynolds is not seeking another term.
Public notices: Senate Study Bill 3175 would strike a requirement in current Iowa law requiring public notices be published in newspapers, instead allowing these notices to be posted solely on the government entity’s official website, alongside on a “statewide public notice internet site” as established in Iowa Code. The measure was approved by the Senate Local Government Committee on February 19, despite some concerns from Democrats that the measure could negatively impact newspapers and make such notices less easily accessible to the public.
The bill also includes another division banning a local government department, office or other subunit from making internal policies without the approval of the county board or city council. These policy changes would have to include a cost analysis of the predicted taxpayer and business cost and economic impact of the measure, which would have to be available to the public online. The measure also requires government entities
Rulemaking approval: Senate File 2395 is a bill placing limits on future state administrations as the state is set to have a new governor in 2026. The measure would require lawmakers approve major administrative rule changes from state agencies – led by governor appointees – in addition to reducing gubernatorial appointees’ terms from six to four years for appointments beginning after July 1, 2026.
Shorter legislative session: Senate File 2389 proposes cutting the Legislature’s annual session in half – from 110 or 100 days to 55 or 50 days. State Government Committee Chair Ken Rozenboom, said he intends to amend the legislation to call for an interim study committee looking at shortening the session instead of moving forward the proposal this year.
Voter citizenship verification: Senate File 2203 would require county auditors to use the SAVE database to verify U.S. citizenship and voter eligibility for people registering to vote. If a person’s status cannot be confirmed through this process, the county auditor could not register them to vote, though they would be allowed to appeal this decision in district court.
Justice and public safety
Age verification: Online entities containing obscene materials would be required to verify users’ ages by checking government-issued IDs, financial documents other other “reasonable” methods under House File 864, passed through the Senate committee process. Another proposal, House File 2606, implements similar restrictions while specifying at least one-third or a website or online platform’s content must be “obscene” in order to require age verification.
Animal torture: Senate File 2099 and House File 2348, companion bills, raise the penalty for acts of animal torture from an aggravated misdemeanor to a class D felony charge, punishable by up to 5 years imprisonment and a fine between $1,025 and $10,245. People previously convicted of animal torture would be subject to a Class C felony charge for subsequent convictions.
Automated license plate readers: House File 2161 would require private operators of automatic license plate readers to delete all captured images and associated data on license plates within 30 days, allowing law enforcement to retain information to criminal investigations. Entities violating this requirement would face a simple misdemeanor charge.
Bail restrictions: House File 2505 is one component of House Republicans’ “tough on crime” agenda, specifically limiting bail. Standard bond schedules could not be used in arrests for certain crimes, such as possession of a firearm as a felon, intimidation with a dangerous weapon or forcible injuries. It would restrict “promise to appear” releases when the person was charged with a violent or drug-related simple or serious misdemeanor. It would also require a person’s residency, employment and criminal record be verified through information from the Iowa Department of Corrections before any pretrial release.
Additionally, the measure updates statewide bail schedules to be adjusted for inflation.
Judicial retention information: House Study Bill 631, a part of House Republicans’ crime package, requires the Iowa Judicial Branch to collect and publish information on judges’ rulings and practices, including information on how often they depart from standard bail schedules or statutory sentencing recommendations, how quickly they rule on motions and cases, and how often their decision are overturned. The Iowa Judicial Branch would be required to create a dashboard containing this data that would be accessible to the public, which could also include a space for judges to submit a 500-word statement on their judicial philosophy. The initial version of this database would focus on data involving criminal cases, not civil cases, the bill’s floor manager Representative Charley Thomson said.
Judicial safety: One of Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird’s proposals, Senate File 2280, proposes raising the penalty for threatening a judicial officer or their immediate family members from a misdemeanor to a class C felony. Additionally, judicial officers and attorney general staff would be able to carry a firearm in situations like court hearings if they gain a professional permit.
Katie’s Law: House File 2624, another bill proposed by Bird, would require DNA be collected from criminal defendants who are arrested for a felony or aggravated misdemeanor charge. Currently, DNA is only collected after a person is convicted. The measure is modeled after legislation first passed in New Mexico, named after Katie Sepich, a 22-year-old University of New Mexico student who was killed in 2003.
Sprinklers in townhouses: Senate File 310 would remove current requirements in state building code for townhouses under a certain size to have fire protection sprinkler systems. It would also prohibit local building regulations from requiring sprinkler systems for these properties. Several firefighter and public safety advocates spoke in opposition to the measure in the subcommittee meeting, saying the proposal could risk larger fires starting, and could mean fewer building inspections for fire safety standards are performed. The measure was amended to change language from referring to the number of units in a townhouse property to properties with that have 18,000 or less square feet.
‘Three strikes’ system: Another piece of House Republicans’ crime package House File 2542 aims to increase penalties for repeat offenders through a “three strikes system.”
A mandatory minimum 20-year sentence without parole would be established when a person reaches three “strikes,” or points in a system of evaluating crimes created through the bill, which includes one “point” counted for felony convictions and several aggravated misdemeanor charges, including sexual and domestic abuse, organized retail theft and possession of a controlled substance. A “half-point” would be given in all other aggravated misdemeanor cases as well as certain serious misdemeanors such as domestic abuse, unlawful possession of the controlled substance, theft in the fourth degree and criminal mischief the third degree.
Labor and the workforce
Skilled workforce training: House File 2466 would increase funding for the 84E Apprenticeship Act, which goes toward state Registered Apprenticeship programs, from $3 million to $4.5 million. It would also create a “career training physical expansion program fund” to fund new facilities at community colleges, as well as in private sector programs, for in-person training in high demand fields, though the funding amount for this component was not specified.
The bill also makes changes on who can provide apprenticeship training for intermediate sponsors – defined as “entity that provides apprenticeship training to multiple employers and serves as the sponsor of the apprentices” – stating they would not be penalized for partner employers’ actions, and would be eligible for Iowa Workforce Development aid. Additionally, it would encourage school districts to expand pre-apprenticeship and apprenticeship programs at high schools.
Natural resources
Cloud seeding: House File 2640, a proposal to put a moratorium on the intentional emission of air contaminants into the atmosphere, was the sole bill advanced from the House Environmental Protection Committee. The measure would prevent the practice of altering weather via the release of air contaminants into the atmosphere. State Representative Sam Wengryn, who chaired the subcommittee on the bill, said there will be an amendment to the bill on the floor to reach a compromise with airport and agricultural concerns of the bill. A similar measure to this bill banning “geoengineering” activities intending to “manipulate or alter the weather,” Senate Bill 2208, was approved by the Senate Technology Committee.
Fecal bacteria identification: The House Natural Resources Committee advanced House File 2530 to prohibit the DNR from listing a segment of water as impaired unless the department had identified a percentage of fecal indicator bacteria from individual animal species that was present in the stream or lake.
Groundwater monitoring: House File 2117 would initiate a pilot project, funded at $100,000 to retrofit up to 100 existing private wells with groundwater monitoring equipment. Advocates of the bill in a subcommittee hearing said it would expand the information Iowa has about its groundwater and aquifer stores. The bill advanced from committee on February 19.
Hydrogen guardrails: Lawmakers advanced several bills this session to update Iowa’s code on oil and gas drilling standards in anticipation of a geological hydrogen industry in Iowa. House Study Bill 740 stipulates protections for landowners for land or crop damage from exploration, operation and final reclamation of oil, gas or hydrogen. HSB 740, along with the House’s version of a pooling bill, House File 843, advanced from committee February 19, though lawmakers anticipate amendments. HF 843 and its companion, Senate File 546, would establish “pooling” regulations to stipulate how landowners without a well on their land are compensated as oil or gas is extracted from under their property.
Online hunter safety: House File 2335 would allow young hunters to skip in-person hunter education elements currently required by Iowa’s hunter safety program.
Water use permits: House Study Bill 713, now House File 2642 would amend the Iowa Department of Natural Resource’s process for approving water use permits in the state. The bill offers a definition of beneficial use and beneficial use categories. It advanced from the House Natural Resources Committee with an amendment.
Pipelines
Eminent domain ban for CO2 pipelines (sort of): Early into the session, the House advanced a bill, House File 2104, to ban the use of eminent domain for the construction of carbon dioxide pipelines. Once in the Senate, however, the bill was amended with language from Senate Majority Leader Mike Klimesh.
As amended, the bill resembled Klimesh’s own bill, Senate File 2067, which would require pipeline companies to show they made a “diligent effort” to find willing landowners within the county or a five mile radius of the proposed pipeline path, before the state would permit the use of eminent domain.
While it substantially resembles SF 2067, HF 2104 persists past the funnel deadline and is eligible for debate on the Senate floor. SF 2067 was not advanced from the House Commerce Committee.
Land restoration: House Study Bill 691 would allow landowners to file complaints with the Iowa Utilities Commission, or court, and renegotiate damage claims for damages and yield losses due to pipeline construction. The bill applies to all types of pipelines in the state.
Taxing CO2: Senate File 2069 would leverage a severance tax on carbon dioxide transported through pipelines in Iowa. The bill would put a lower tax on CO2 being transported for enhanced oil recovery than CO2 transported for other purposes. The bill advanced from a subcommittee and is exempt from funnel deadlines since it is in the Senate Ways and Means Committee.
Transportation
Driverless vehicles: Companion bills House Study Bill 598 and Senate Study Bill 3052 would make the owner of a self-driving vehicle liable in the event of a crash or traffic law violation and would prohibit the transportation of hazardous materials in autonomous vehicles without a conventional human driver. The House version of the bill advanced from the transportation committee February 18. The Senate version also advanced and is renumbered as Senate File 2384.
A House subcommittee advanced a second bill pertaining to self-driving vehicles, House File 2375 which would require a conventional driver in any autonomous vehicle operating in a commercial capacity. This bill was not advanced by the House Transportation Committee.
WHAT DIED
Agriculture
A number of Democrat-introduced bills referred to agriculture committees in the House and Senate would have created additional regulations for confined animal feeding operations, but the bills did not have scheduled subcommittee meetings.
Paraquat ban: Democratic State Senator Art Staed introduced Senate File 2316 to prohibit the use of pesticides containing paraquat, a chemical that has been linked to Parkinson’s disease which he is battling. The bill did not have a scheduled subcommittee meeting.
Commerce
Customer based power: A House subcommittee advanced House Study Bill 630 aimed at managing and optimizing energy in Iowa by allowing for the operation of customer-based power plants and storage facilities in the state. The bill was not heard by the full committee.
Ratemaking: House Study Bill 519 would have encouraged nuclear energy and energy storage projects and expand the projects eligible for certain ratemaking principles in Iowa. The bill advanced from a subcommittee, but was not taken up in the House Commerce Committee.
State use of AI: A bill in the Senate sought to regulate state employees’ use of artificial intelligence. Senate Study Bill 3014 would prohibit the use of AI in instances that impacted things like employment status or wages. The bill, which advanced from a subcommittee but was not advanced by the Senate Technology Committee, would have also required state agencies to disclose any use of AI.
Education
Commission for Public Higher Education: House Study Bill 550 would have the Iowa Board of Regents direct state universities to apply for accreditation by the Commission for Public Higher Education, an accrediting body created last year by different university systems. The legislation was approved by an Iowa House subcommittee but was not brought up in committee before the funnel deadline.
Due process: House Study Bill 539, which would establish new due process rules for state universities, was tabled by an Iowa House subcommittee after being described by Democratic State Representative Dave Jacoby as “the worst written bill (he’s) ever seen” in his more than two decades as a lawmaker.
Iowa Board of Regents: House Study Bill 534 would change the makeup of the Iowa Board of Regents by replacing its voting student member with another governor-appointed member and adding seven ex-officio, nonvoting members, including three students, two state senators and two state representatives. The legislation would also require biannual general education standards and low-enrollment program reviews and direct the board of regents to develop policies on post-tenure review, approving academic programs and barring governance authority by faculty senates or councils.
An Iowa House subcommittee approved the legislation, but it was not brought up by the Iowa House Higher Education Committee.
Land acknowledgements: House Study Bill 535, tabled by a House subcommittee February 10, would bar public universities from having land acknowledgements, which recognize indigenous peoples’ connection to the land obtained from them.
Physical education requirements: House Study Bill 683 would have required physically able students in 1st through 6th grades to participate in at least 30 minutes of physical education curriculum each school day, for students in grades 6-8 to engage in a physical activity for at least 20 minutes each day and a minimum of 150 minutes per week – a requirement which cannot be met through PE classes – and for students in grades 9-12 to engage in physical activities for a minimum of 2 hours each week. The measure would have also required public and charter schools to require all students enrolled in 9-12 grades to participate in a cocurricular or extracurricular activity in order to graduate. The measure was passed by a House subcommittee, but not brought up in the Education Committee.
VEISHEA: House Study Bill 545 would have the Iowa Board of Regents study the possibility of reinstating VEISHEA at Iowa State University. VEISHEA, a student-run celebration at Iowa State, was discontinued after several years of alcohol-fueled rioting. The bill passed out of subcommittee January 29 but was not introduced to the higher education committee.
Veterinary medicine residency requirement: House File 2209, introduced to an Iowa House higher education subcommittee February 17, would enact an 80 percent residency requirement in the Iowa State University veterinary medicine professional degree program.
Health care
Abortion ban: House File 2332 proposed expanding Iowa’s current six-week abortion ban to a full ban on elective abortions, and would add criminal punishments for doctors who perform abortions through Iowa’s homicide laws. Pregnant women who have abortions would not be criminally punished under the law, and the measure included exemptions for abortions in cases such as miscarriages, in-vitro fertilization and treating other medical emergencies. A subcommittee meeting scheduled on the bill this week was canceled, as House Republicans said there was not enough support for the measure to advance.
Granny cameras: Senate Study Bill 3080 would allow a nursing home resident or their representative to conduct electronic monitoring of the resident’s room through the use of video cameras — sometimes called “granny cams” — placed inside the room with the consent of any roommates.
Hydroxychloroquine: While a measure making ivermectin available over the counter survived the funnel deadline, a separate measure, House File 2056, allowing over-the-counter dispensing of both ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine, a prescription medication typically used in treating malaria and managing autoimmune diseases, did not advance.
Both of these drugs were brought up by some studies as being effective in preventing or treating symptoms of COVID-19, though they were not found effective in preventing the spread or alleviating symptoms of COVID-19 in subsequent studies. The bill also proposed requiring these drugs be dispensed to patients age 18 or older at their request – a measure pharmacists and medical professional advocates said could prevent pharmacists from withholding these medications if they believe it could cause a patient to suffer negative reactions or adverse side effects due to existing medical conditions and interactions with other prescriptions.
Tobacco tax: Senate Study Bill 3145 proposed raising excise tax for cigarettes and tobacco products, as well as creating a new tax on consumable hemp and vapor products. The measure was originally included in the governor’s “MAHA” bill, but was taken out during the House amendment process. There are two appropriations in the bill: $1 million to the Iowa justice department to provide victims assistance grants to providers serving victims of human trafficking, and $1 million to the Healthiest State Initiative for “Double Up Food Bucks” program, both coming from the health care trust fund.
The measure failed in the Senate Health and Human Services Committee on February 19, when it received 9 “yes” votes and 8 “no” votes. As the bill did not get approval from a majority of the full committee – 10 members or more of the 18 member committee – it did not advance.
Justice and public safety
Divorce: Senate File 2172 would allow marrying couples to opt out of a no-fault divorce by requesting a waiver when they apply for a marriage license. If a waiver is in place, a person seeking a divorce would have to prove specified grounds such as adultery or abuse. The bill passed a Senate subcommittee February 9 but went no further.
“Harmful material” in libraries: House File 2309 would have restricted public libraries from disseminating “harmful” material to minors without attaining permission from their guardian. Materials deemed “harmful to minors” includes any material depicting, describing or representing sexual acts, including intercourse, masturbation and sadistic or masochistic abuse, in a “manner patently offensive for minors.” These materials would have to be housed in an “adult” section of the library, which would have to be separate from children and young adults sections or any other areas of the library that can be accessed by minors without staff assistance.
Materials would be considered “presumptively harmful” and would have to be housed in the adult section of a library if it meets two or more of certain criteria, including description of sexual acts, depicts sexual acts involving issues like violence, abuse, incest and grooming, is marketed, labeled or rated as intended for adults or is not specifically catalogued by the publisher as juvenile or young adult material. The measure was not considered by the House Judiciary Committee.
State government
Annexing Galena, Illinois: House File 2141 proposed creating a committee to study whether one or more counties in Illinois bordering Iowa should become a part of the state. Republican State Representative Taylor Collins told reporters he believed there could be a benefit for Galena and other rural Illinois communities to become a part of Iowa. The measure was not scheduled for a subcommittee hearing.
Citizens United: A bipartisan measure, Senate Joint Resolution 2004, proposed beginning the process for amending the Iowa Constitution to ban corporations from financially contributing or otherwise participating in election or ballot issue activities. The proposal is specifically targeted as a means to dispute the 2010 U.S. Supreme Court decision in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission which removed limits on how much money a corporation can directly spend in support of a political campaign, and is similar to a 2026 ballot measure being discussed in Montana. The measure did not receive a subcommittee hearing.
Digital library services: One of several bills related to public libraries that did not advance past the first funnel deadline, Senate File 2177 proposed restrictions on the digital library services available to minors through public and school libraries. Digital library services would be banned for minors unless the provider of the service implemented means to block minors from being able to access, view or download obscene materials, child pornography or materials relating to the use of a controlled substance.
Enrich Iowa standards: House File 2270 would have stated Enrich Iowa program funding requirements for public libraries could not include compliance or adoption of policies or standards issued by private organizations outside of state approval. The measure was brought in an effort to stop libraries from adopting standards from organizations like the American Library Association or Iowa Library Association.
Merging DNR and IDALS: House File 2042 would have explored the idea of merging the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources – a decision environmental groups opposed, arguing the two departments have conflicting motives. The bill advanced from a subcommittee, but was not taken up by the committee.
No smoking in casinos: Bills in both the House and Senate advanced from subcommittee to amend the state’s smokefree air act and remove the exemption allowing smoking on gaming floors. Neither House File 781 nor Senate File 2051 were taken up in committee.
Obscenity law exemptions: Senate File 2119 proposed removing current exemptions built into the state’s obscenity laws for public libraries and schools. Iowa law provides penalties for distributing or displaying obscene materials – materials containing depictions of sexual acts and material involving nudity or sexual abuse of minors that lacks “literary, artistic, political or scientific value” when considered as a whole – to minors, but includes a provision stating these laws do not ban the “use of appropriate material for educational purposes” in accredited schools, educational programs or libraries. Library staff and advocates said removing this measure could result in “nuisance” lawsuits being filed against libraries and schools for having materials that do not meet the legal definition of “obscene,” but that certain members of a community want removed from a library.
Natural resources
Black bears: House File 2099 did not advance after its subcommittee hearing, but would have listed black bears as a fur bearing animal in Iowa and thus put some state protections around hunting the hibernating animals that are becoming more common in Iowa. The state designation would have eventually opened up the opportunity for regulated black bear hunting.
Bottle bill expansion: A bill that would have expanded Iowa’s bottle and can redemption program to include uncarbonated beverages in similar packaging to carbonated beverages, was not brought up in committee. The bill, House Study Bill 661, advanced with full support from subcommittee members, but was not heard before the funnel date in the House Natural Resources Committee.
Wildlife overpasses: House Study Bill 562 would have asked a state committee to explore the feasibility of implementing wildlife overpasses and other crossing systems designed to reduce animal vehicle collisions. The bill advanced from a subcommittee hearing but was not heard in committee.
Wind turbine lights: House File 2081 would have required all wind turbines in Iowa to be constructed with or retrofitted with aircraft detection light systems. Republican State Representative Dean Fisher introduced the bill to address a concern among his constituents about disturbance of the constantly flashing lights on top of the turbines. The bill advanced from a subcommittee February 16, but was not taken up by the House Commerce Committee.
Sent to the governor
No bills have yet been sent to the governor for approval this session.