This bill authorizes members of Iowa's general assembly, judicial officers, and specific attorneys (including the attorney general, deputies, and assistants) to obtain professional permits allowing them to carry weapons anywhere in the state, including schools. It also establishes new criminal offenses for threatening these officials or their immediate family members, and defines true threats against them as harassment with penalties. The law expands existing weapon permit eligibility to cover these judicial and legislative professionals while creating specific criminal penalties for threats targeting them or their families.
HF 2337 makes it a class D felony to falsely claim possessing an academic degree or credentials for employment or personal gain. The bill directly affects individuals who misrepresent their educational background to secure jobs or other advantages. It adds a new provision (Section 714.8, subsection 6A) criminalizing this specific fraud, punishable by up to five years in prison and fines between $1,025 and $10,245. This law targets deception in credential claims, not general fraud or academic dishonesty.
HF 2360 amends Iowa's child endangerment law to define "child" as any person under 18 years old (replacing "minor" references) and clarifies specific actions that constitute endangerment. It directly affects parents, guardians, household members, and caregivers by prohibiting behaviors like reckless endangerment, unreasonable force, medical neglect (with a religious exemption for treatment refusal), allowing abuse, abandonment, exposure to drug manufacturing, and unsupervised access by sex offenders (with parental exceptions). Key mechanisms include establishing penalties: class B felony for endangerment causing death, class C for serious injury, and class D for bodily injury or specific violations. The bill focuses on concrete policy changes to standardize definitions and strengthen accountability for endangering children under 18.
HF 2348 redefines animal torture in Iowa to include intentional acts like crushing, burning, drowning, suffocating, or impaling animals, causing serious injury or death. It increases penalties from an aggravated misdemeanor to a class D felony (up to 5 years in prison and $10,245 fine) for first offenses, and to a class C felony (up to 10 years and $13,660 fine) for repeat offenders with prior convictions for related offenses like animal abuse, neglect, or prohibited animal contests. The bill directly affects individuals who commit animal torture, with harsher penalties applying if they have a prior record of animal-related crimes. The bill was introduced in February 2026 and is pending further action.
HF 2635 sets new rules for health insurance companies and claim review organizations (utilization review organizations) in Iowa, directly affecting health care providers and patients. It prohibits using artificial intelligence as the sole method to deny, delay, or downgrade prior authorizations for medically necessary services, requiring instead a qualified physician review. The bill also establishes strict timelines for audits (45 days to complete after receiving documents) and appeals (30 days for a final decision), with penalties including 10% interest for violations. These changes apply to most health insurance plans in Iowa starting January 1, 2027, but exclude certain coverages like dental, Medicare supplements, and short-term policies.
SF 2114 amends Iowa law to define intimidation involving a dangerous weapon as a felony, directly affecting anyone who threatens or shoots/throws such a weapon at others to cause fear of serious injury. It creates two felony classifications: Class C (up to 10 years in prison and up to $13,660 fine) for more severe cases, and Class D (up to 5 years and up to $10,245 fine) for less severe cases. The bill removes the previous reference to "assembly of people" but keeps the core offense of threatening with a weapon at individuals or occupied spaces (like buildings or vehicles). Penalties apply when the threat causes reasonable fear of serious injury or is carried out under circumstances that make the threat credible.
This bill regulates digital financial kiosks in Iowa that exchange digital assets (like cryptocurrencies) for cash or other assets. It requires kiosk operators to obtain a money transmission license, report all kiosk locations to the banking division, and comply with specific pricing rules. Violations could result in civil fines up to $10,000 per incident, enforced by the attorney general. The law takes effect immediately upon enactment and applies to all such kiosks operating in Iowa.
SF 2379 strengthens protections for crime victims by establishing strict confidentiality for communications between victims and certified victim counselors, prohibiting disclosure without written consent or in cases of imminent danger. It allows courts to issue lifetime protective orders for victims of sexual offenses, removing previous one-year limits and enabling unlimited extensions based on ongoing safety concerns. The bill also clarifies that confidentiality does not apply to evidence chain-of-custody matters or if a counselor suspects a victim provided false testimony. These changes directly affect victims of sexual assault, domestic violence, and other crimes who use victim services or seek protective orders.
HF 2256 expands Iowa's criteria for identifying a child as needing assistance (CINA) due to chemical dependency, mental health issues, or behavioral disorders. The bill allows courts to declare a child a CINA if they require treatment for serious chemical dependency, mental illness, or behavioral health issues that threaten safety or cause aggressive behavior, and the parent/guardian is unwilling or unable to secure that treatment. It removes an outdated subsection (232.96A(13)) to align the law with this expanded definition. This change directly affects children needing specialized treatment and their families when parents cannot or will not seek care.
HF 523 allows peace officers in Iowa to file petitions for 72-hour emergency protective orders on behalf of domestic abuse victims who claim to be in immediate danger and request the officer's assistance. The bill amends Iowa Code 236.6 to permit this action, directly affecting victims who may be unable to file petitions themselves during urgent situations. Key provisions require the victim to both state they are in present danger of domestic abuse and specifically ask the officer to submit the petition. This change streamlines access to emergency protection without altering the legal standard for issuing such orders.
HF 648 allows dentists in Iowa to obtain a "licensed sedation provider host permit" to employ qualified sedation providers during dental procedures. To qualify, dentists must complete a board-approved course covering patient assessment, emergency response, and sedation management; meet facility/equipment standards; and hold advanced cardiac life support certification. A permitted dentist may then employ licensed physicians, anesthesiologists, or nurse anesthetists to administer moderate sedation to patients aged 13 or older during outpatient dental care, while monitoring patient safety. The Iowa Dental Board will annually review and approve sedation training courses to ensure they meet specific educational standards before issuing permits.
HF 703, the "Increasing Student Financial Aid Awareness Act," requires Iowa's Student Loan Liquidity Corporation to provide the Bureau of Iowa College Aid with annual estimates of federal direct PLUS loan interest rates and comparisons between state and federal loan terms. The Bureau must analyze this data to determine if Iowa's college family or partnership loans offer lower interest rates than federal PLUS loans. If they do, the Bureau must publish a clear online statement explaining this difference and require all Iowa colleges to include this information in financial aid offers to students. This bill directly affects Iowa students, families, and higher education institutions by improving transparency around loan options and ensuring they receive standardized comparisons of state and federal student loan rates.
