Iowa Bills

HF 2045 requires Iowa's Office of Consumer Advocate to study whether utility companies charging Iowa customers for infrastructure upgrades also benefit residents of other states. The study will determine if Iowa customers are being charged for these upgrades without proper compensation in their utility bills. If findings show Iowa customers are paying for out-of-state benefits, the Office must assess if compensation is adequate. The Office must submit a final report to the legislature by December 31, 2026. This bill does not change utility rates or require immediate action, only a factual review of current billing practices.

HF 2069 establishes an annual 1% cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) for monthly retirement allowances paid to Iowa public employees retiring on or after July 1, 2026, including their beneficiaries and contingent annuitants. The adjustment applies each July 1, increasing the current allowance by 1% of its prior amount, but only for those who were at least 55 years old when they retired. Retirees receiving this COLA will no longer qualify for retirement dividends under section 97B.49F of the Iowa Code. This bill directly affects current and future retirees in Iowa’s public employees’ retirement system, modifying their ongoing benefit calculations.

HF 2035 increases reimbursement rates for child care providers participating in Iowa's state child care assistance program. It requires the Department of Health and Human Services to set half-day care reimbursement rates at the 85th percentile of the state's 2024 market rate survey for child care services. This change directly affects licensed child care providers who accept state-funded assistance for low-income families. The bill implements a specific, data-driven adjustment to payment rates based on annual market analysis, without creating new program requirements.

HF 2054 amends Iowa law to allow 15-year-olds to provide unsupervised child care at licensed facilities under specific conditions, instead of requiring providers to be at least 18 years old. It directly affects minors aged 15-17 who complete department-approved training in safe sleep, first aid, and child abuse reporting, plus document 10+ hours of supervised childcare experience. The bill requires facilities to follow these new age rules while maintaining all other existing health and safety standards for child care operations. This change creates a pathway for older minors to work in childcare roles without direct adult supervision, subject to strict training and experience requirements.

HF 2060 requires Iowa counties to set salaries for elected county officers (including sheriffs, auditors, treasurers, and supervisors) based on average pay for comparable roles in other Iowa counties, neighboring states, private businesses, and federal government positions. For sheriff salaries specifically, counties must compare to city police chiefs in communities with populations within 1,000 people of the county's size, using the average of those salaries. County compensation boards must document their calculations and secure majority approval for proposed pay schedules. Noncompliant counties can be sued by the Attorney General to enforce the rules.

This bill repeals Iowa Code section 37A.1, which previously made it a misdemeanor to sell, trade, or transfer veterans commemorative property on personal property without authorization from the Department of Veterans Affairs. It also removes a requirement that the department must authorize such transactions. The law change eliminates both the penalty for unauthorized transfers and the need for departmental approval. This directly affects veterans or property owners who possess veterans commemorative items (like plaques or monuments), allowing them to sell or transfer these items without seeking government permission.

HF 2063 directs Iowa's Department of Transportation (DOT) to create a study committee to examine the feasibility and cost-effectiveness of installing wildlife crossings at highway locations with high rates of vehicle-animal collisions. The committee must analyze costs from human injuries, property damage, and potential savings to determine if crossings are viable. The DOT must submit a report to the legislature by January 11, 2027, and the bill expires on July 1, 2027. This is a procedural study bill with no immediate policy changes, solely focused on gathering data for future decisions.

This bill exempts agricultural drones used directly for farming from Iowa's aircraft registration requirements and sales tax. It amends two laws: removing the need for farmers to register these drones with the state transportation department (which currently charges fees up to $5,000 annually) and waiving the standard 6% sales tax on such purchases. The exemption applies only to remotely piloted aircraft specifically used for agricultural purposes, as defined in state law. This directly affects Iowa farmers who operate drones for crop monitoring, spraying, or other farm-related tasks. The policy change simplifies compliance and reduces costs for this specific agricultural use case.

This bill (SF 2015) changes how political parties in Iowa must announce local party meetings called "precinct caucuses." It allows parties to publish the date, time, and location of these meetings on their official social media accounts instead of (or in addition to) using a local newspaper. Parties must still make two separate notices: one 7-15 days before the caucus and another 7 days before up to the caucus date. The bill directly affects political parties organizing these meetings, as they now have the option to use social media for notices, with the party covering any associated costs.

This bill amends Iowa law to increase the maximum age for employment as a peace officer in the Department of Public Safety from 65 to 67 years. It directly affects current and future peace officers who reach these ages while serving in the department. The key mechanism is a straightforward change to Section 80.36 of the Iowa Code, updating the age limit without altering other employment requirements. The change applies to all peace officers within the department, not specific roles or exceptions.

This bill increases the maximum annual base wage increase that arbitrators can award in public employee collective bargaining agreements from 3% to 5%. It directly affects public employee unions that do not have at least 30% of members in public safety roles (like police or firefighters). The key provision changes the legal limit on wage awards during arbitration for base pay, allowing higher increases within a single year of a bargaining agreement. The change applies to all new bargaining agreements initiated after the bill's effective date.

SF 2009 affects nonsupervisory Iowa Department of Corrections employees with ongoing direct contact with inmates. It designates these workers as "public safety employees" for collective bargaining under state law, requiring the state to cover full health insurance costs for surviving spouses and children. The bill mandates new training in de-escalation techniques, uniform safety practices at correctional facilities, and paid leave (5-90 days) for employees experiencing trauma or hostage situations. It also prohibits the department from offering contractors better pay or benefits than comparable state employees performing similar work.