A bill for an act relating to county zoning ordinances governing residential buildings.
This bill (SF 2442) limits county zoning boards' authority over residential construction in unincorporated areas. It prohibits counties from restricting the building or development of residential properties - defined as single-family homes, townhouses, and small apartment buildings (up to 12 units per building) - except for regulations necessary to protect life or property safety. Counties may no longer impose rules on residential construction for non-safety reasons, such as limiting building density or lot coverage. The law directly affects homeowners, developers, and county zoning boards in rural and unincorporated regions of Iowa. It updates existing zoning authority to prioritize construction access while maintaining safety-based regulations.
Bill status
passed
3 of 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Feb 2026
Committee Review
Feb 2026
Senate Passage
Mar 2026
House Passage
Governor
Introduced Feb 23, 2026
Last action Mar 4, 2026
Floor votes · Senate Mar 3, 2026
How they voted
29–15
Passed · 5 other
Total votes 49
Mar 3, 2026
D
Democratic15
86% Nay
R
Republican34
85% Yea
Vote distribution
All Yea
All Nay
Mixed
No data
Full legislative history
Actions timeline
Total actions
8
Key actions
2
Committee
1
Amendments
1
Mar 3, 2026
Upper · Passed
Passed Senate, yeas 28, nays 16.
upper
Mar 2, 2026
Introduced
Amendments S-5047 and S-5049 filed.
upper
Feb 23, 2026
Upper · Passed
Committee report, approving bill.
upper
Feb 23, 2026
Introduced
Introduced, placed on calendar.
upper
0 primary · 0 co-sponsors
Sponsors
No sponsor information available.
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