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Iowa Bills

Track legislation and stay informed about the bills that matter to you.

State Legislature US Congress

All 18,026 Active 467 In committee 12,074 Passed 1,319 Signed 1,696 Failed 1,704

died · Iowa · House Mar 18, 2025

HF 786: A bill for an act relating to county supervisors, concerning county supervisor representation plans and county supervisor vacancies, and including effective date provisions.

HF 786 requires counties with a state university campus governed by the Iowa Board of Regents to use "Plan Three" for electing county supervisors, rather than other representation methods. It also establishes that counties with populations over 125,000 or university campuses must fill supervisor vacancies through special elections, while smaller counties without universities may use appointments. The bill mandates counties using "Plan Three" to create new district maps by October 2025, with plans taking effect January 1, 2026. It applies immediately upon enactment and affects how 30+ Iowa counties handle supervisor elections and vacancies.

died · Iowa · House Mar 18, 2025

HF 722: A bill for an act relating to workforce training, unemployment insurance, and other functions and programs of the department of workforce development, the workforce development board, and local workforce development boards.

HF 722 amends Iowa's workforce development laws to update program definitions, streamline local planning, and improve reporting. It explicitly includes existing AmeriCorps programs (like RefugeeRISE and Iowa Green Corps) under "Iowa national service corps," requires local workforce boards to submit plans following federal rules for department approval, and mandates annual joint reports with the Education Department on scholarship outcomes. The bill also repeals outdated sections (84A.7-84A.11) and clarifies the Department of Workforce Development's role in administering unemployment insurance and job training. These changes directly affect Iowa workers, training programs, and state/local agencies managing workforce development.

Topics ✓ Labor & Employment

died · Iowa · House Mar 14, 2025

HF 20: A bill for an act designating the acquisition of certain vehicles or vehicle equipment as a general county purpose.

HF 20 would amend Iowa law to allow counties to acquire vehicles or vehicle equipment for specific departments without needing voter approval for general obligation bonds. The bill adds the county sheriff, county attorney, county jail facility, county maintenance department, county conservation department, and county public health department to the list of entities eligible for this "general county purpose" funding. This means counties could purchase necessary vehicles for these departments using regular county funds instead of requiring a separate election. The bill was recommended for passage by committees but was ultimately withdrawn in March 2025.

died · Iowa · House Mar 14, 2025

HF 26: A bill for an act relating to the treatment of adoptive parent employees and making penalties applicable.

HF 26 requires Iowa employers to treat adoptive parents the same as biological parents for job benefits, protections, and policies during the first year after adopting a child under six years old. It applies to most employers covered under Iowa’s employment laws and defines "adoption" broadly to include placements through state agencies, licensed groups, or independent arrangements. The bill explicitly states adoptive parents cannot take disability leave unless they have a qualifying medical condition under the employer’s existing policies. Violations could result in civil penalties of up to $500 per pay period.

Topics ✓ Labor & Employment

died · Iowa · House Mar 14, 2025

HF 122: A bill for an act relating to school districts that share the operational functions of a school resource officer, and including applicability provisions.

HF 122 increases funding for Iowa school districts that share operational functions with other entities, specifically raising the supplementary weighting for sharing a school resource officer (SRO) from 2 to 4 pupils. This policy change directly affects school districts sharing SRO services (or other eligible roles like counselors or special education directors) for at least 20% of the school year. The bill provides additional state funding by assigning districts extra weighted pupils based on shared functions, with SRO sharing now earning 4 pupils instead of 2. The change applies to school budget years beginning July 1, 2025.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes ✓ Education

died · Iowa · House Mar 14, 2025

HF 239: A bill for an act relating to the office of the consumer advocate.

HF 239 restructures Iowa's Office of the Consumer Advocate within the Department of Justice, establishing it as a separate division. The bill specifies that the attorney general appoints the consumer advocate (subject to Senate confirmation), sets their salary, and requires regular reports to a committee of state officials (secretary of agriculture, auditor, treasurer). It clarifies that the office's expenses and salaries are funded separately from the utilities commission, with costs for services covered by the commerce revolving fund. The bill also defines how the office may charge expenses for its services in utility proceedings, ensuring fiscal separation between the two entities.

died · Iowa · House Mar 14, 2025

HF 374: A bill for an act relating to the delegation of custodial rights and duties with respect to a child.

HF 374 allows Iowa's Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to delegate specific custodial duties - including consent for routine medical care - to licensed foster care providers when a court transfers legal custody of a child to HHS. The bill defines "routine medical care" as preventative care (excluding vaccinations), non-emergency check-ups, and necessary medications like antibiotics, ensuring children can participate in typical childhood activities. Licensed foster care providers receiving this delegation must be notified by HHS, and parents or guardians retain residual rights that cannot override HHS's authority for routine care. This bill directly affects foster children, HHS, and licensed foster care facilities. (Note: The bill was withdrawn on March 14, 2025.)

died · Iowa · House Mar 14, 2025

HF 139: A bill for an act relating to filing applications and custody of the respondent in an involuntary commitment proceeding.

HF 139 modifies procedures for involuntary commitment cases involving substance use disorders or mental health treatment. It allows any interested person to file a verified application in any county, requiring courts to transfer cases to the respondent's current county if filed elsewhere. The bill explicitly authorizes law enforcement officers to take respondents into custody in any county for placement at a treatment facility under court orders. It also requires facilities to report on treatment progress to courts within 15 days and mandates law enforcement to locate and return individuals who leave treatment without authorization. These changes aim to streamline custody and treatment processes while clarifying jurisdiction and enforcement authority.

Topics ✓ Healthcare

died · Iowa · House Mar 14, 2025

HF 60: A bill for an act relating to budget adjustments by school districts affected by a natural disaster.

HF 60 would allow Iowa school districts impacted by federally or state-declared natural disasters to receive an additional year of budget adjustment funding. Specifically, if a disaster occurred in the base year or the year before, districts would get a second adjustment equal to the amount they received in their base year. This applies to districts already eligible for standard budget adjustments under existing law. The bill directly affects school districts in Iowa that experience qualifying natural disasters with official disaster declarations. (Note: The bill was withdrawn on March 14, 2025, and did not become law.)

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes ✓ Education

died · Iowa · House Mar 14, 2025

HF 146: A bill for an act providing for a study of transitioning certain medical schools in Iowa from four-year programs to three-year programs.

HF 146 directs the University of Iowa College of Medicine and Des Moines University Osteopathic Medical Center to jointly study transitioning their medical programs from four years to three years. The study must analyze other medical schools that have made similar changes and examine potential student cost reductions. Both institutions must submit findings and recommendations to the governor and legislature by December 1, 2025. The bill was withdrawn on March 14, 2025, and does not enact any immediate policy changes.

died · Iowa · House Mar 14, 2025

HF 244: A bill for an act relating to the offense of intentional misrepresentation of an animal as a service animal or service-animal-in-training.

HF 244 would have amended Iowa law to simplify the offense of falsely claiming a pet as a service animal. It removed two requirements needed to prove the crime: that the person received a prior warning about the law and knew the animal wasn't a service animal. The bill would have made it easier to prosecute people who intentionally misrepresent pets as service animals to access public spaces or services. This change would have kept the existing penalty of a simple misdemeanor (up to 30 days in jail and a $105-$855 fine) but lowered the legal bar for conviction. The bill was withdrawn on March 14, 2025, before becoming law.

Topics ✓ Criminal Justice

died · Iowa · House Mar 14, 2025

HF 19: A bill for an act modifying the costs eligible for emergency medical services fund expenditures, and including effective date provisions.

HF 19 would have expanded the types of costs counties could pay for using their emergency medical services trust fund. Specifically, it would have allowed counties to cover the salaries or wages of emergency medical care providers (as defined in state law) with these funds. Currently, such funds could only cover certain other costs, but this bill would have added provider compensation as an eligible expense. The bill was withdrawn on March 14, 2025, and did not become law.

Topics ✓ Healthcare