HF 2304 sets a statewide 5% cap on indirect costs (administrative expenses like office space or general management) charged to state-funded grants, effective July 1, 2026. It directly affects grantees - including nonprofits, local governments, schools, and for-profit organizations - and state departments managing grants by requiring separate budgeting of direct and indirect costs, prohibiting cost reclassification to bypass the cap, and mandating documentation for audits. The bill requires grant budgets to detail indirect cost calculations and retain records for ten years, with departments enforcing compliance through pre-award reviews and payment controls. Grantees must also adjust allocations if indirect costs exceed the limit, with disallowed costs recoverable through future payments or repayment.
SF 2142 modifies how Iowa's state employee salary report is distributed. It requires the Department of Administrative Services to make the report available online and provide electronic copies to the public upon request for the cost of copying (not a profit). The bill removes the previous requirement that the report be distributed free of charge to legislative caucuses, the legislative services agency, and the chief clerks of both houses. The report must include employee names, titles, salaries, and other details for most state workers. This change affects state departments that compile the data and the public seeking access to the salary information.
This bill adds career and technical education (CTE) instructors to the list of shared operational roles eligible for additional state funding. School districts in Iowa that share CTE instructors (licensed for grades 5-12 in fields like agriculture, business, or IT) with other districts or political subdivisions for at least 20% of the school year will receive a supplementary weighting of two pupils per shared function. This supplemental funding aims to increase resources for student programming by encouraging shared staffing. The bill specifically defines CTE instructors as those holding a valid endorsement or authorization for grades 5-12.
This bill requires all Iowa schools serving grades 7-12 (including public districts, nonpublic schools, charter schools, and innovation zones) to provide specific social studies instruction. It mandates at least one-half semester of civics and U.S. government instruction in grades 7-8, and increases required instruction to one full unit (including voting procedures, constitutional study, and the Bill of Rights) for grades 9-12. The bill expands current requirements to cover additional school types and specifies exact curriculum content. It applies to school years starting July 1, 2028.
HF 2245 requires Iowa's university boards of regents to use a presidential selection committee when choosing a new president for state institutions of higher learning. The committee must include five voting board members plus four non-voting members (a student, faculty representative, institution employee, and community member). The bill mandates the committee to recommend only the most qualified candidates to the board (which must select from those recommendations) and requires candidate identities to remain confidential unless disclosed per a written agreement. This directly affects university boards and their president hiring process.
HF 853 modifies Iowa's Administrative Procedure Act to change how courts interpret laws in cases involving state agencies. The bill eliminates the current standard where courts defer to agency interpretations when a law's meaning isn't clearly vested in the agency's discretion. Instead, courts must interpret statutes and agency rules "de novo" (without deference) and resolve any remaining ambiguity by favoring interpretations that limit agency authority. This directly affects courts, agencies, and individuals or entities challenging agency actions under Iowa Code Chapter 17A.
HF 936 expands Iowa's open records law to include city or township instrumentalities (like nonprofit entities using property tax revenue) under the definition of "government body." This means these entities must now comply with public record disclosure requirements and face the same penalties as other government bodies. Specifically, it subjects them to Chapter 721.1, which treats knowingly falsifying public records as a class D felony punishable by up to 5 years in prison and fines up to $10,245. The bill applies these rules to all existing open records provisions without creating new penalties.
SF 503 expands Iowa's open records law to require certain nonprofit associations that serve local governments (like the Iowa League of Cities or Iowa State Association of Counties) to make their records publicly accessible. It redefines "government body" to include these "instrumentalities" - entities performing governmental functions for counties or cities - subjecting them to the same disclosure rules and civil penalties as traditional government bodies. This change affects nonprofits previously exempt from open records requirements under Iowa law, ensuring they comply with public access standards. The bill does not create new disclosure requirements but extends existing ones to these specific entities.
HF 843 updates regulations for oil and gas production and metallic mineral exploration in Iowa. The bill defines new terms and requires businesses involved in these activities to file annual organizational and contact information with the Department of Natural Resources (DNR). It establishes procedures for submitting and maintaining certain confidential information for five years and grants the DNR director authority to approve variances to departmental rules. Additionally, the bill modifies how spacing units are established for oil and gas pools, including provisions for "exploratory spacing units" to define new pools.
This bill requires general contractors and subcontractors working on construction projects in Iowa to maintain a $50,000 performance bond or irrevocable letter of credit, filed with the state. It directly affects contractors performing private construction work, ensuring they provide financial security to cover contract failures or violations. Political subdivisions (like cities or counties) cannot demand additional bonds or fees beyond this requirement for private work, except for projects in public right-of-ways. The law does not apply to contractors working for the state or political subdivisions themselves.
HF 2640 prohibits intentionally emitting chemicals or devices into the atmosphere within Iowa for the purpose of altering weather, climate, or sunlight intensity. It requires all Iowa airports open to the public to report monthly (starting October 2026) on aircraft equipped with such devices, including their presence, landings, takeoffs, or refueling. Non-compliant airport projects lose eligibility for state funding, and violations are punishable as class D felonies (up to 5 years in prison) for individuals or $100,000 civil penalties for corporate officers. This bill directly affects airport operators, aviation entities, and any organization using weather-modification technology within Iowa.
SF 2404 requires Iowa's Department of Education to create a pilot program where one rural school district (defined by specific population criteria) and one urban school district (with at least 7,000 students) must establish specialized attendance centers. These centers will provide educational and special education services to eligible students, including those needing special education or facing behavioral challenges that interfere with regular classroom success. The bill mandates annual reporting on participation, academic outcomes, and stakeholder feedback from participating districts, and requires at least 48% of special education funds to support the pilot. The program is set to expire on July 1, 2031.
