Iowa Bills

This bill amends Iowa law concerning who has the legal right to make decisions about a deceased person's final arrangements, such as burial or cremation. It establishes an exception to the existing order of priority for controlling a person's remains. Specifically, an individual will be ineligible to control final disposition or arrange related ceremonies if they are prohibited from acting as a designee under section 144C.8 of the Code. This directly affects individuals who would otherwise hold this right but are deemed ineligible by that specific code section.

HF 860 prohibits state and local governments from enacting regulations on fuel-powered equipment. Specifically, it prevents these governmental bodies from creating rules based solely on the equipment's fuel source. This means state and local authorities can no longer implement policies that differentiate or restrict machinery because of the type of fuel it consumes.

HF 314 allows adoption agencies to skip mandatory preplacement background investigations and reports for certain adoption cases. It directly affects adoption agencies, prospective adoptive parents, and children in specific adoptions where the court determines the waiver is appropriate. The bill creates a process for courts to authorize these waivers when they find the standard investigations are unnecessary or impractical. This changes the existing requirement by permitting exceptions to streamline certain adoption proceedings.

This bill modifies the rules for family visits between parents and children during ongoing child protection cases, directly affecting families and the courts involved. Under current law, these visits can be stopped if a court or the state's health and human services department finds them harmful to the child. The bill proposes that family visits must continue unless a court specifically finds substantial evidence that the interactions, supervised or unsupervised, would cause an imminent risk to the child’s life or health. This change raises the legal standard required to stop family visits and places the decision solely with the court.

SF 285 establishes an expedited filing service for business documents processed by the Secretary of State. This service allows filers, such as businesses, to pay an additional surcharge to have their documents processed more quickly. Surcharges vary based on the desired speed: $200 for one-hour service, $125 for same-day, $50 for two-day, and $15 for five-day service, in addition to regular filing fees. The Secretary of State must provide written confirmation of an expedited filing, and all collected surcharges will be deposited into the business administration fund.

SF 307 addresses several areas under the purview of the Department of Management. It makes budget transmittals to the department confidential until the governor transmits the state budget. The bill also revises the Technology Reinvestment Fund, outlining how its moneys are used for state information technology projects, establishing prioritization criteria for these projects, and appropriating specific funds for their implementation. Additionally, it shortens the frequency of required national criminal history checks for IT staff working for the department or supported entities from ten to five years. Finally, the bill prohibits certain contract terms that would violate state constitutional provisions or limit the department's ability to participate in its own legal defense.

HF 28, known as the "Iowa Land Redevelopment Trust Act," establishes a framework for municipalities to create land redevelopment trusts. These trusts are public entities designed to acquire and manage dilapidated, abandoned, blighted, and tax-delinquent properties within their jurisdiction. The goal is to return these properties to productive use, which could include revitalizing areas, providing affordable housing, or attracting new industry. Municipalities, either individually or jointly, can create these trusts, which would be governed by a board of directors.

House File 165 requires all high school students in public and nonpublic schools, beginning with the 2026-2027 school year, to pass a civics test as a condition for graduation. Individuals seeking a high school equivalency diploma will also need to pass this assessment. The test consists of the multiple-choice questions from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services naturalization civics test. Students must correctly answer at least 60% of the questions and are allowed to retake the test as many times as needed without any fees from the school.

HF 957 establishes the Natural Hazard Mitigation Financing Program and outlines its funding mechanisms. It creates dedicated funds and accounts, managed by the Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management and the Iowa Finance Authority, which are separate from the state's general fund. The bill authorizes the Iowa Finance Authority to issue tax-exempt bonds and notes to finance the program and secure state matching funds for federal disaster relief. These bonds are secured by program revenues and are not considered state debt, providing a specific financial structure for natural hazard mitigation projects.

HF 909 establishes a Veterans Service Organization Grant Program under the administration of the Department of Veterans Affairs. This program provides matching funds to eligible veterans service organizations, as defined by federal regulations, to help them employ staff who assist veterans with claims. The bill creates a dedicated grant fund within the state treasury and appropriates $250,000 for the fiscal year starting July 1, 2025, for deposit into this fund. Organizations must demonstrate they will provide matching funds for each staff position to receive a grant.

HF 1012 proposes changes related to natural hazard mitigation financing and other disaster recovery programs in Iowa. It establishes new provisions for the Natural Hazard Mitigation Financing Program, creating dedicated funds and accounts that are separate from the state's general fund. The bill authorizes the Iowa Finance Authority to issue bonds and notes to fund a revolving loan fund for natural hazard mitigation projects. These funds are also intended to provide state matching funds required for federal disaster relief. This aims to support projects that reduce risks from natural hazards for affected communities and loan recipients.

HF 641 primarily modifies regulations concerning city civil service employees and their disciplinary processes. The bill prohibits cities with civil service commissions from establishing citizen review boards for police officer conduct. It revises disciplinary standards for employees, requiring "just cause" and proof by a "preponderance of the evidence" for actions like removal or demotion, and mandates that imposed punishment be proportionate. Additionally, the bill introduces new due process protections for employees, including the right to exculpatory evidence and access to relevant documents, while also adjusting procedures for civil service commission hearings and the number of commissioners in larger cities.