Iowa Bills

passed · Iowa · House Mar 31, 2025

HF 269: A bill for an act prohibiting certain requirements for students and faculty at regents institutions relating to diversity, equity, inclusion, and critical race theory and including applicability provisions.

HF 269 prohibits Iowa's public universities (regents institutions) from requiring students to take courses or faculty to use teaching materials related to diversity, equity, inclusion, or critical race theory as part of degree requirements. The bill bans institutions from constraining students' course choices to meet such requirements or mandating faculty to incorporate specific content or participate in related training as part of evaluations or promotions. Limited exemptions exist only for programs explicitly focused on racial, ethnic, or gender studies, and students cannot be forced to take these courses for other degrees. The law takes effect for academic years starting July 1, 2026.

Topics ✗ Education

passed · Iowa · Senate Mar 31, 2025

SF 295: A bill for an act relating to the disposition of real property on the capitol complex, and including effective date provisions.

This bill authorizes Iowa's Department of Administrative Services director to sell the Henry A. Wallace state office building (502 E. 9th St., Des Moines) and the adjacent Capitol Complex parking structure (628 E. Grand Ave., Des Moines), including associated property. Proceeds from the sale must be deposited into the state's general fund. The bill takes immediate effect upon enactment. It is a procedural measure focused solely on property disposal, not policy changes.

passed · Iowa · Senate Mar 31, 2025

SF 289: A bill for an act relating to invasion of privacy, and making penalties applicable.

SF 289 updates Iowa's invasion of privacy law to specifically address non-consensual recording. It makes it a violation to knowingly view, photograph, or film someone for sexual gratification, or to possess such material without a legitimate reason. The bill directly affects individuals who secretly record others in private settings for sexual purposes. Penalties apply when these actions occur, clarifying the legal consequences for violating privacy in this manner. This law strengthens protections against non-consensual intimate recordings by defining clear prohibited conduct.

Topics ✓ Criminal Justice ✓ Technology

passed · Iowa · House Mar 27, 2025

HR 14: A resolution calling upon the President of the United States and the United States Congress to support efforts to naturalize certain legally adopted children who were born outside the United States.

This resolution (HR 14) calls on the President and Congress to support the Adoptee Citizenship Act, which would grant U.S. citizenship to children legally adopted from abroad who were 18 or older when the 2000 Child Citizenship Act took effect. It directly affects adoptees who were excluded from automatic citizenship under the 2000 law, despite being raised in the U.S. by American citizens. The resolution urges action to prevent deportation and address barriers these individuals face, such as difficulties obtaining passports, banking services, or education benefits. It does not create new law but advocates for congressional support of the pending Adoptee Citizenship Act.

Topics ✓ Immigration

passed · Iowa · Senate Mar 27, 2025

SF 521: A bill for an act relating to payment of reasonable attorney fees for contempt relative to a dissolution of marriage proceeding.

SF 521 (Iowa) would require courts to order a person found in contempt during a divorce case to pay the other party's reasonable attorney fees resulting from their willful violation of a court order. It directly affects individuals involved in divorce proceedings who disobey temporary or final court orders, such as failing to pay child support or comply with custody arrangements. The key provision adds a new requirement for courts to direct the contemptuous party to cover the legal costs incurred by the other side due to their noncompliance. This change aims to make it easier for parties to enforce court orders in divorce cases by addressing the financial burden of legal action against violators.

passed · Iowa · Senate Mar 26, 2025

SF 566: A bill for an act creating a study committee on the administration of the court debt system.

SF 566 creates a study committee within Iowa's judicial branch to review how court debts are managed, including assessment, payment, collection, and distribution. The committee, chaired by the state court administrator and including state agency directors, county associations, and four legislative members, will focus on streamlining the system to reduce errors and administrative burden. It explicitly excludes reviewing the actual amounts of court debt owed or money distributed to recipients. The committee must submit reform recommendations to legislative judiciary committees by November 1, 2025. This bill affects state courts and agencies handling court debt, aiming to improve system efficiency through a formal review process.

passed · Iowa · House Mar 26, 2025

HF 515: A bill for an act relating to school districts that share the operational functions of a school resource officer, and including applicability provisions.

HF 515 increases state funding for Iowa school districts that share school resource officer (SRO) services with other entities. It raises the supplementary weighting for SRO sharing from 2 to 4 pupils per shared function (up from current law), meaning districts sharing SRO duties receive more state funding based on this higher rate. The bill applies to school budget years starting July 1, 2025, and affects any district sharing SRO operational functions for at least 20% of the school year with a political subdivision or another district. This change redirects additional resources toward student programming by adjusting the funding formula for shared SRO services.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes ✓ Criminal Justice ✓ Education

passed · Iowa · House Mar 26, 2025

HF 624: A bill for an act relating to the farm tenancy net income exclusion available against the individual income tax, and including effective date and retroactive applicability provisions.

HF 624 expands Iowa's farm tenancy net income exclusion for individual income tax, allowing farmers who earn income through certain business structures (like partnerships, S-corporations, trusts, or single-owner entities) to claim the exclusion as if they received the income directly. It specifically clarifies that net income distributed from these entities qualifies, provided the farmer has the right to withdraw or compel distribution of that income. The change applies retroactively to tax years beginning January 1, 2024, meaning eligible farmers can adjust prior-year taxes. This directly benefits Iowa farmers operating through business entities rather than personally, aligning their tax treatment with farmers who receive income directly from farm tenancies.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes

passed · Iowa · House Mar 26, 2025

HF 570: A bill for an act relating to probation, including discharge credits, educational credits, and workforce credits, and including effective date provisions.

HF 570 creates a new credit system for Iowa defendants on probation, allowing them to reduce their probation time based on compliance, education, or employment. It provides a 14-day reduction per full compliant month (discharge credit), 90 days for earning a diploma or vocational certification (educational credit), and 30 days for six months of verifiable employment (30+ hours/week, workforce credit). These credits can reduce probation by up to 40% and must be verified by probation officers using documents like pay stubs or certificates. The law takes effect July 1, 2026, and requires annual reporting on credit usage, though it excludes specialized courts unless they adopt the provisions.

Topics ✓ Criminal Justice

passed · Iowa · House Mar 26, 2025

HR 12: A resolution recognizing the Hoover Uncommon Public Service Award winner for 2025, Representative Kenan Judge.

This bill is a simple resolution recognizing Representative Kenan Judge (R-Waukee, IA) as the 2025 recipient of the Hoover Uncommon Public Service Award, presented annually by the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library Association. It formally expresses the House of Representatives' gratitude to the award association and congratulates Judge for his service to Iowa constituents. The resolution does not create any new laws or policies - it solely honors Judge's recognition as an award winner who exemplifies public service aligned with Herbert Hoover's humanitarian legacy. The House adopted this resolution unanimously on March 26, 2025.

passed · Iowa · Senate Mar 26, 2025

SF 601: A bill for an act relating to timelines for online information availability concerning the discontinuance of city utilities.

SF 601 reduces the required notice period for cities proposing to discontinue a utility and seek voter approval. Under current law, cities must make such proposals available online at least 60 days before submitting them for election. The bill changes this to require availability at least 30 days prior. This affects cities in Iowa that need voter approval to discontinue or sell city-owned utilities, ensuring the public has access to proposals sooner. The change streamlines the timeline without altering the requirement for voter approval.

passed · Iowa · House Mar 25, 2025

HF 546: A bill for an act relating to initial appearance minimum bond amounts for certain criminal offenses.

This bill sets a $100,000 minimum bond amount for defendants arrested on specific serious criminal charges, including attempted murder (Iowa Code §707.11), assault with a weapon (§708.1), and possession by a felon (§724.26). Magistrates must apply this minimum bond requirement and cannot use the standard bond schedule for these offenses or forcible felonies. The bill directly affects individuals arrested for these listed crimes during initial court appearances. It changes how bail is determined, ensuring higher financial barriers for these specific offenses before a defendant can be released.

Topics ✗ Criminal Justice

Bill results