Iowa Bills

in committee · Iowa · House Mar 12, 2025

HF 497: A bill for an act relating to the administration of tax returns by the department of revenue, and including effective date and retroactive applicability provisions.

HF 497 allows Iowa taxpayers to round amounts to the nearest whole dollar when filing tax returns, but requires consistent rounding for all entries. Specifically, taxpayers may round calculated totals to whole dollars after including cents during the calculation process, but must round every entry on the return to whole dollars. The bill applies retroactively to tax years beginning on or after January 1, 2025, affecting all Iowa taxpayers filing returns under the Department of Revenue's administration. This change simplifies reporting for small dollar amounts without altering tax liability calculations.

in committee · Iowa · House Mar 12, 2025

HF 237: A bill for an act relating to sanctions on intervenors in contested cases before the Iowa utilities commission.

HF 237 sets clear conditions under which the Iowa Utilities Commission can impose sanctions on people or groups (intervenors) participating in contested cases. The bill prohibits the commission from threatening or imposing sanctions unless it determines an intervenor was knowingly dishonest or violated a criminal law AND caused actual, quantifiable injury exceeding $500 to the commission. This directly affects intervenors in utility commission proceedings by requiring specific, documented misconduct and harm before penalties can be applied. The bill does not change utility regulations but modifies the commission's sanction process to require stricter proof.

in committee · Iowa · House Mar 12, 2025

HF 610: A bill for an act relating to persons allowed to intervene in proceedings under the Iowa utilities commission.

HF 610 expands who can automatically participate in Iowa Utilities Commission proceedings. It grants automatic intervention rights to state legislators, elected county or city officials, and residents who have a reasonable interest in the case. The bill specifically adds these groups to the list of people entitled to intervene "as of right" in any commission hearing or decision. This change aims to increase public and local government involvement in utility-related regulatory decisions. The bill is currently moving through committee stages with recent approval recommendations.

in committee · Iowa · House Mar 12, 2025

HF 171: A bill for an act removing the maximum annual amount of real estate transfer tax receipts that may be transferred into the housing trust fund.

HF 171 removes a $7 million annual cap on real estate transfer tax funds allocated to Iowa's Housing Trust Fund (HTF). Currently, 30% of these tax receipts must be sent to the HTF, but any amount exceeding $7 million annually is redirected to the general fund. This bill eliminates that $7 million limit, allowing all 30% of eligible tax receipts to flow directly into the HTF each year. The HTF supports affordable housing development and preservation for low-income Iowans and the Iowa Mortgage Help Initiative.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes ✓ Housing

in committee · Iowa · House Mar 12, 2025

HF 105: A bill for an act relating to the definition of medical cannabidiol.

HF 105 updates Iowa's definition of "medical cannabidiol" to explicitly include specific product forms: oral options like tablets and tinctures, topical products such as gels and creams, and limited inhalable forms including vaporized cannabis. This change directly affects patients using medical CBD products and healthcare providers dispensing them under Iowa's medical program. The bill clarifies which cannabis-derived products qualify as "medical cannabidiol" for legal purposes, replacing the previous definition with detailed categories. It does not create new access or alter patient eligibility but ensures defined product types are covered under existing medical use laws. The bill passed committee with strong support (19-1-1) and is now moving forward in the legislative process.

Topics ✓ Healthcare

in committee · Iowa · House Mar 12, 2025

HF 728: A bill for an act relating to police, fire department, and other emergency vehicles.

HF 728 updates Iowa's vehicle code to standardize equipment requirements for emergency vehicles like police cars, fire trucks, and ambulances. It requires new lighting features (such as rear zone amber lights and master warning switches) and dual-tone sirens for vehicles purchased or refurbished after specific dates (July 1, 2021, or 2022). The bill applies directly to state and local governments, fire departments, EMS providers, and vehicle manufacturers. It removes redundant language like "official" before vehicle types but does not change driving privileges or emergency operation rules.

in committee · Iowa · House Mar 12, 2025

HF 366: A bill for an act relating to government ethics of employees of a state agency, and making penalties applicable.

HF 366 prohibits state agency employees from using official materials like badges, uniforms, or work email when interacting with legislators on matters unrelated to their job duties. It expands ethics oversight to cover these employees by adding them to the jurisdiction of each legislative chamber’s ethics committee, allowing complaints about violations to be filed directly with the committee. Violations are classified as a serious misdemeanor, punishable by up to one year in jail and fines between $430-$2,560. The bill applies to employees of most state departments, boards, and agencies (excluding certain agricultural boards), clarifying that using official credentials for unrelated legislative activities is strictly forbidden.

in committee · Iowa · House Mar 12, 2025

HF 942: A bill for an act providing for a pilot program to reduce the use of commercial nitrogen-based fertilizers to produce crops, and making appropriations.

HF 942 creates a four-year pilot program in Iowa to help farmers reduce commercial nitrogen-based fertilizer use. It offers financial incentives of at least $5 per acre to participating farmers who use approved alternative products (like nitrogen-fixing soil conditioners or biofertilizers) to meet a goal of lowering fertilizer rates by up to 15% or 30 pounds per acre. The program, administered by the state’s soil conservation division, is funded with $2 million annually starting in 2025 and requires participants to maintain records of their methods and results. The program will end in 2030, with a final report due in 2029.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes ✓ Environment

in committee · Iowa · Senate Mar 12, 2025

SF 504: A bill for an act relating to unemployment insurance taxes on employers.

SF 504 amends Iowa's unemployment insurance tax rules for employers. It modifies the definition of "taxable wages" by removing wages paid to employees from other states that have reciprocal agreements with Iowa. The bill also adds a 10% surcharge on employers with three-year average benefit ratios of 1.25 or higher, and requires employers to use any tax savings from the bill for employee wages or seasonal unemployment alternatives. These changes adjust how employer contribution rates are calculated based on benefit ratio rankings and fund reserve levels.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes ✓ Labor & Employment

in committee · Iowa · House Mar 12, 2025

HF 329: A bill for an act relating to the distribution of water exempt from taxation and the use of tax exemption certificates, and providing civil penalties.

HF 329 requires water utilities in Iowa to accept and retain valid exemption certificates that exempt certain water use from taxation, rather than forcing customers to seek refunds from the state. It directly affects water utilities and customers who qualify for tax exemptions on their water use. The key provision imposes civil penalties on utilities that refuse valid certificates - equal to the tax amount plus interest - which must be paid to the state general fund. The bill defines "exemption certificate" and "water utility" and mandates the Department of Revenue to adopt implementing rules. This law streamlines tax exemption access and ensures utilities comply with existing tax exemption rules.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes

in committee · Iowa · House Mar 12, 2025

HF 491: A bill for an act concerning common carriers and including effective date and applicability provisions.

HF 491 modifies Iowa's eminent domain laws for pipeline projects. It requires pipeline companies seeking to use eminent domain to first qualify as "common carriers" (transporting goods for unaffiliated shippers who retain ownership, not selling to the pipeline company). For hazardous liquid pipelines, the government must now prove "public use" with "clear and convincing evidence" instead of the lower standard. This directly affects pipeline companies seeking infrastructure rights and landowners whose property could be taken for pipeline projects. The bill takes effect immediately upon enactment.

Topics ✗ Energy

in committee · Iowa · House Mar 12, 2025

HF 594: A bill for an act relating to discrimination in the provision of financial services, and providing civil penalties.

HF 594 is a proposed Iowa bill that prohibits financial institutions from denying, restricting, or terminating financial services based on a "social credit score." This score would evaluate protected activities like First Amendment speech, refusal to adopt environmental targets beyond legal requirements, or business ties to firearms/oil companies. The bill requires institutions to provide written explanations for service denials within 14 days and allows affected individuals to sue for up to $30,000 in damages for willful violations. It explicitly excludes standard financial risk assessments from this prohibition. The bill is currently pending in committee after passing a subcommittee vote (13-8) in March 2025.

Bill results