Iowa Bills

SF 2401 updates Iowa's judicial officer structure by revising procedures for appointing magistrates and allowing district associate judges to replace magistrates in certain counties. The bill requires county commissions to appoint magistrates per new rules, mandates that chief judges must get judicial district approval to substitute associate judges for magistrates (with specific county population and retention requirements), and sets compensation based on legislative salary standards. This directly affects county judicial commissions, magistrates, and district associate judges in Iowa's judicial districts, particularly where substitution is approved. The bill does not change public policy but modifies internal judicial appointment and compensation processes.

HF 2662 establishes Iowa's Veterans Traumatic Brain Injury Recovery Program and fund to reimburse treatment costs for eligible veterans. The bill creates a state fund to cover expenses for hyperbaric oxygen therapy (specialized oxygen treatment) for Iowa veterans diagnosed with traumatic brain injury or PTSD, as prescribed by a healthcare provider. Veterans service organizations must submit approved treatment plans to the Department of Veterans Affairs before treatment begins, and facilities providing this therapy must offer it at no cost to veterans. Reimbursement occurs after treatment plan approval and verification of health improvements, with annual reports required on program effectiveness. This directly affects Iowa veterans with qualifying conditions, treatment facilities, and veterans service organizations coordinating care.

This bill requires Iowa grain dealers and warehouse operators to submit annual financial statements accompanied by an unqualified audit opinion from a licensed Iowa accountant. It allows flexibility by accepting qualified audits or review reports under specific conditions, but limits the state department to requesting no more than one full audit per year. The bill also establishes procedures for filing claims after license termination and managing liens on grain deposits. These requirements directly affect businesses handling grain sales and storage in Iowa, aiming to improve financial transparency.

SF 2096 changes Iowa foster care licensing rules by replacing fixed training hour requirements with a flexible system. It requires foster care providers to complete training determined by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), based on their experience, the child's needs, and other circumstances - instead of the current 30-hour initial and 6-hour annual minimums. Training must cover specific topics like trauma, behavior management, attachment, and biological parent contact. The bill also maintains a military service exemption, allowing providers on active duty to meet renewal requirements without completing the annual training. This directly affects individuals seeking or renewing foster care licenses in Iowa.

This resolution formally congratulates the Wartburg College men's wrestling team and their coaching staff on winning the 2026 NCAA Division III national championship. It highlights the team's dominant performance, which included individual titles for two wrestlers and multiple All-American honors, bringing pride to the college and the state of Iowa. The House of Representatives will present an official copy of this resolution to the team and coach as a gesture of recognition.

This Senate resolution honors Zion Mennonite Church in Donnellson, Iowa, for its 175th anniversary by formally recognizing its historical significance in the state. The bill acknowledges the church's role in Mennonite history, including its founding in 1851, establishment of the first Mennonite school west of the Mississippi River, and contribution to the formation of the General Conference Mennonite Church. It also notes the church's long-standing partnership with the Donnellson Presbyterian Church and its current mission of worship, faith education, and community service. The resolution serves as a commemorative acknowledgment rather than implementing any new laws or regulations.

This bill creates a new Scenic Byways Enhancement Fund in Iowa to support the maintenance and improvement of scenic roads across the state. The fund will be financed through voluntary one-dollar contributions collected from vehicle registration applicants and existing state transfers, with all collected money going to the state treasury except for a small portion counties may keep. The state department of transportation will manage the fund to cover costs for litter prevention, upkeep, and development of scenic routes. The legislation takes effect on January 1, 2027, and requires the department to establish rules for administering the program.

SF 2372 is a technical corrections bill that updates Iowa's statutes to improve clarity and accuracy. It adjusts existing language to reflect current practices, corrects grammar, removes redundancies, resolves inconsistencies, and fixes minor errors across multiple sections of the Iowa Code. The bill does not create new policies or affect specific groups; it only modifies how existing laws are written. For example, it clarifies that "gender" in anti-discrimination contexts refers to biological sex, not gender identity, by correcting the statutory definition. This is a routine language update, not a substantive policy change.

This bill establishes a two-year deadline for challenging beneficiary designations or asset transfers obtained through fraud, undue influence, or wrongful conduct after a person's death. It allows courts to award attorney fees and costs in probate disputes, clarifies how wrongful death damages are split between an estate and surviving family members, and extends the probate report filing deadline from 90 to 120 days. These changes apply to deaths occurring on or after July 1, 2026, affecting estate administrators, beneficiaries, and attorneys handling probate cases. The bill also reorganizes trust dispute procedures to be handled in probate court.

HF 2581 allows Iowa water and wastewater utilities to recover costs for specific infrastructure upgrades through a new "system enhancement charge," directly affecting investor-owned utilities regulated by the Iowa Utilities Commission. Utilities must first get commission approval for a detailed multiyear plan showing how projects comply with federal/state environmental regulations (like the Safe Drinking Water Act), including cost estimates and alternatives. The charge, calculated as a monthly fixed fee based on meter size, covers eligible costs like new infrastructure installation or relocation for compliance, but excludes fines or costs already recovered through other means. The commission must review plans within 10 months and ensure charges are "just and reasonable" before utilities can implement them.

HF 2521 modifies Iowa's animal abandonment law by requiring that when a person delivers a cat or dog to an animal shelter or pound, an employee or volunteer of that facility must physically accept the animal for the delivery to count as a legal exception to abandonment. This change directly affects individuals attempting to relinquish pets at shelters, ensuring shelters formally take custody. The bill clarifies that simply leaving an animal at a shelter's premises without physical acceptance does not satisfy the legal exception. Violating abandonment rules without this proper delivery could still result in criminal charges, ranging from a misdemeanor to aggravated misdemeanor depending on the circumstances.

This bill (SF 2313) updates Iowa's property tax sale procedures, primarily affecting county treasurers, property owners facing tax delinquency, and cities with special charters. It requires counties to destroy tax sale records after 10 years from redemption or cancellation, sets a $10 fee for tax sale title certificates (except for the county itself), and mandates that cities follow county tax sale rules for real estate and mobile home sales. Key provisions clarify how tax deeds are issued, ensure cities use similar processes as counties for tax sales, and specify fee structures for title certificates. The bill focuses on streamlining administrative processes for tax delinquent property sales without changing tax rates or eligibility.