HF 2505 changes Iowa's bail procedures by requiring judges to set bail at the standard bond schedule amount unless they provide written justification for a lower amount. It restricts release on personal recognizance (without bail) to defendants charged only with nonviolent, non-drug misdemeanors. The bill also clarifies that the standard bond schedule cannot be used for certain offenses like weapon-related violations or forcible felonies, and removes a previous limit on cash deposits for bail. The judicial council must update the bond schedule for inflation by July 2027.
SF 2391 establishes new requirements for Iowa's career and technical education (CTE) programs and community college coursework. It mandates high schools to offer computer science aligned with state standards starting in 2023, requires students to complete sequential CTE coursework across four of six defined career areas (like health sciences or business), and defines "high-demand," "high-skill," and "high-wage" occupations to guide program development. For community colleges, the bill requires implementing a statewide common course numbering system by 2027 to improve transferability and replacing traditional remedial math/English courses with corequisite models by 2028-2029. These changes directly affect Iowa K-12 students, educators, school districts, and community colleges through updated curriculum standards and institutional practices.
This bill changes Iowa's definition of "public improvement" for public construction bidding. It specifically excludes two items: (1) equipment for city utilities related to electric generating projects, and (2) manufactured home installation work (including foundation setup, anchoring, and utility connections). These exclusions mean such projects would no longer require competitive bidding under public construction laws. The change affects city utilities, manufactured home installers, and applies to related statutes covering school buildings, community colleges, and municipal contracts. The bill was introduced in 2026 but was later withdrawn.
SF 2421 would have required healthcare review groups to use human reviewers - not solely artificial intelligence - for decisions denying, delaying, or downgrading prior authorizations (e.g., changing urgent requests to standard ones). It mandated that denials include written explanations citing specific criteria, along with detailed attestations about the reviewer’s qualifications and specialty expertise. The bill also required separate human reviews for appeals and prohibited the same reviewer from handling both initial denials and appeals. This bill was withdrawn on March 4, 2026, and did not become law.
SF 2287 updates Iowa's election laws with several key changes. It requires law enforcement to immediately notify the state commissioner when investigating election misconduct (Section 2), allows voter registration cancellation after 90 days if incomplete and the voter can't be contacted (Section 3), and sets specific recount thresholds (e.g., less than 0.15% for statewide measures) with a 7-day deadline (Sections 4-5). The bill also mandates tamper-evident seals on all election equipment (Section 7) and updates rules for voting system testing and certification (Section 6). These changes directly affect election officials, voters, and election equipment providers. The bill passed committee but was later withdrawn after being attached to another measure.
HF 2247 requires Iowa public schools and registered athletic organizations to accept cash or coins (legal tender) for entry fees to interscholastic sports events. This applies specifically to events sponsored by organizations registered with the Iowa Department of Education. The bill does not affect schools not part of such organizations.
HF 2281 modifies Iowa's alcohol sales rules at commercial service airports by allowing alcohol to be sold, dispensed, or consumed between 2:00 a.m. and 6:00 a.m. during specific flight boarding periods. The bill creates an exception to the current 2 a.m.-6 a.m. ban, permitting alcohol service starting one hour before a scheduled flight through the end of boarding. It applies only to airports meeting federal criteria (at least 2,500 annual passenger boardings with scheduled flights). The change directly affects licensed vendors at qualifying Iowa airports during these flight-related time windows.
SF 2396 modifies Iowa's rules for notifying winners of prizes in social or charitable gambling events (like raffles). It requires licensed organizations to notify absent winners within one year of the prize being won, replacing the previous standard of "as soon as practical." This change ensures a clear, time-bound process for organizations to contact winners who aren't present when prizes are awarded. The bill directly affects social/charitable gambling groups operating under Iowa law.
This bill updates Iowa law governing control of a deceased person's cremated remains. It requires that if a designated person (like a family member) fails to claim cremated remains within 30 days of written notice from a third party, or doesn't act within 24-40 hours of death notification, their authority automatically transfers to the next competent adult listed in the law. The bill also removes the authority of a designee if they face murder or manslaughter charges related to the decedent's death. This directly affects individuals who appoint others to handle funeral arrangements and ensures remains are managed by a responsible party when the initial designee does not act. The changes clarify procedural steps for final disposition without altering core rights.
HF 2036 protects foster parents' residential address privacy by prohibiting agencies from sharing a foster parent's full address with a biological parent unless the foster parent provides written consent. The bill defines key terms like "foster parent" and "foster child," and explicitly states that documents containing unredacted addresses cannot be given to biological parents without consent. This directly affects foster parents (who control address disclosure), biological parents (who may request addresses only with consent), and child welfare agencies (which must comply with the confidentiality rule). The law aims to prevent unauthorized access to foster parents' homes while allowing voluntary disclosure when foster parents agree.
HF 2163 changes Iowa's foster care licensing rules by replacing fixed training hour requirements with flexible assessments. Foster parents applying for or renewing licenses will have training needs determined by the Department of Health and Human Services based on their experience and the child's circumstances, rather than a set number of hours. Required training must cover topics like trauma effects, behavior management, and supporting biological family connections. The bill maintains an exemption for foster parents on active military duty who cannot complete annual training.
This bill (HF 2157) amends Iowa law to clarify that surrendering a cat or dog to an animal shelter or pound only avoids abandonment charges if a shelter employee or volunteer physically accepts the animal. It requires shelters to actively take custody of surrendered animals for the surrender to be valid, preventing owners from leaving pets unattended at facilities. This directly affects people who might abandon pets and animal shelters, as failure to meet this physical acceptance requirement could still result in criminal charges (misdemeanor or aggravated misdemeanor) for abandonment. The change ensures that shelters must formally take responsibility for surrendered animals to legally exempt the surrender from abandonment penalties.
