HF 901: A bill for an act relating to the law enforcement academy, including military veterans with active duty military police experience and former federal law enforcement officers. - Iowa

Enrolled with Governor's Action → Reprinted · 4 edits

MODERATE

The bill was reprinted from its final enrolled version to a committee-reprinted version, updating the text to reflect amendments passed by the House. The substantive policy content remains largely the same, though some wording was refined for clarity and consistency.

Scope change

The bill's scope remains focused on allowing military veterans with active duty military police experience and former federal law enforcement officers to qualify for reciprocity into Iowa's law enforcement academy without completing the full Level I training program.

REQUIREMENT

Section 1 eligibility criteria were modified to clarify that veterans must have primarily served in a law enforcement capacity and must receive an honorable discharge within three years of applying for lateral transfer.

Added new requirements for certified individuals to complete an Iowa-specific orientation course and undergo background checks and psychological evaluations before joining a law enforcement agency.

Added a provision stating that certificates of equivalency will expire if not used within one year, requiring applicants to resubmit if they fail to become certified in time.

TECHNICAL

Changed references from 'reciprocity program' to 'lateral transfer' and updated section numbering to reflect the amended version.

Enrolled → Enrolled with Governor's Action · 1 edit · May 27, 2025

MINOR

The bill text was reformatted from a line-by-line legislative markup style into a clean, standard document format. The substantive policy content, including eligibility criteria for veterans and federal law enforcement officers to bypass Level I academy training, remains unchanged.

TECHNICAL

The document structure was converted from a line-by-line amendment markup format (with individual words on separate lines) to a standard multi-line paragraph format for readability and official filing.

Introduced → Signed Enrolled Bill (PDF) · 5 edits · May 27, 2025

MODERATE

The bill was signed into law as House File 901, establishing a new legal framework for law enforcement academy exemptions. It allows military veterans with active duty military police experience and former federal law enforcement officers to qualify for lateral transfer without completing the full academy training program, provided they meet specific service and training criteria.

Scope change

The bill expands law enforcement hiring pathways by creating a formal equivalency process for qualified veterans and federal officers, reducing training barriers for experienced candidates transitioning to state agencies.

ELIGIBILITY

Established new eligibility criteria requiring four years of active duty military service with military police experience and honorable discharge within three years of applying.

Created equivalency pathway for former federal law enforcement officers with four years of service and accredited training equivalent to academy standards.

REQUIREMENT

Requires applicants to complete a one-week Iowa-specific orientation course and undergo background checks and psychological evaluations.

Mandates that certificates of equivalency expire if not used within one year, requiring resubmission for new applications.

DEFINITION

Established council responsibilities to develop evaluation procedures and publish annual reports on transitioning personnel.

Signed Enrolled Bill (PDF) → Enrolled · 3 edits · May 27, 2025

MINOR

The bill text was reformatted from a signed enrolled bill to a clean enrolled version, removing the Governor's signature block and adding certification signatures from House and Senate leadership. The substantive legislative content remains unchanged, including provisions for law enforcement academy reciprocity for military veterans and federal law enforcement officers.

TECHNICAL

Removed Governor Kim Reynolds' signature block and transmission letter that was included in the signed enrolled version.

Added certification signatures from Speaker of the House Pat Grassley, President of the Senate Amy Sinclair, and Chief Clerk of the House Meghan Nelson.

Reformatted the bill text from a PDF-style layout with embedded page markers to a clean plain text format.

A bill for an act relating to the law enforcement academy, including military veterans with active duty military police experience and former federal law enforcement officers.

What changed between versions

How they voted

Actions timeline

Sponsors