Iowa Bills

died · Iowa · House Mar 9, 2026

HF 2269: A bill for an act relating to the use of the titles physician assistant and physician associate.

This bill changes the official title from "physician assistant" to "physician associate" in all Iowa laws, regulations, and government documents, effective immediately. It ensures that licensed professionals using the new title retain all existing rights, responsibilities, and scope of practice, and prohibits discrimination or altered relationships with employers, healthcare facilities, or insurers due to the title change. During a transition period, individuals may use either "physician assistant," "physician associate," or "P.A." until the new title becomes common. All state agencies must update forms, guidance, and documents to reflect the change by January 1, 2027, without altering current practice standards.

Topics ✓ Healthcare

died · Iowa · Senate Mar 9, 2026

SF 2230: A bill for an act relating to natural resources, including office locations of the director of natural resources, state park user fee pilot programs, the delegation of powers and duties concerning state preserves, and age requirements for hunting deer with pistols or revolvers.

SF 2230 updates Iowa's natural resources laws by allowing the director of natural resources to maintain an office near the state capitol (instead of requiring it at the capitol complex), removing references to two expired state park user fee pilot programs, and transferring management of state preserves from the director to the natural resource commission. The bill also modifies deer hunting regulations for pistols, requiring hunters under 18 to be accompanied throughout the hunt by a licensed hunter aged 21 or older with parental consent, while specifying firearm requirements like minimum barrel length and ammunition standards. These changes directly affect state park visitors, natural resource managers, and hunters, particularly minors seeking to hunt deer with pistols.

died · Iowa · House Mar 9, 2026

HF 2438: A bill for an act relating to health carriers and payment of claims, audits, and standards of conduct; prior authorizations and utilization review organizations; and providing civil penalties and including applicability provisions.

HF 2438 sets new rules for health insurance companies (health carriers) regarding claim payments, audits, and conduct. It requires health carriers to pay clean claims within 30 days (electronic) or 45 days (paper), prohibits retroactive denials without evidence, and mandates reimbursement of providers' costs for responding to audits. The bill also establishes strict timelines for audits (15-day notice, 45-day completion) and appeals (30-day window), with automatic approval and interest for missed deadlines. These provisions directly affect health insurance companies, Medicaid programs (like Iowa's Medical Assistance and Hawki), and healthcare providers (doctors, hospitals) who submit claims.

Topics ✓ Healthcare

introduced · Iowa · House Mar 9, 2026

HF 2639: A bill for an act relating to limitations on discovery depositions involving minor victims.

HF 2639 establishes rules for deposing minor victims (under 18) in criminal cases, requiring defense attorneys to seek court approval before proceeding. It mandates that courts weigh factors like the minor's age, offense severity, and potential trauma before granting permission, and requires defense counsel to prove the deposition is critical to a fair trial while showing efforts to use less traumatic alternatives first. Approved depositions must include mandatory protections: safe locations (avoiding jails or law enforcement facilities), video/audio recording under seal, hourly breaks, and the presence of supportive adults, therapists, or victim advocates. This bill directly affects minors in criminal cases, defense attorneys, and Iowa courts handling such depositions.

Topics ✓ Criminal Justice

died · Iowa · House Mar 9, 2026

HF 2439: A bill for an act relating to specially constructed motorcycles.

HF 2439 clarifies that motorcycles assembled by individuals (not manufacturers) without federal certification labels - required under 49 C.F.R. § 567 - are classified as "specially constructed vehicles" for Iowa registration. This specifically affects DIY motorcycle builders who cannot meet federal labeling rules, regardless of whether their bikes have distinctive names or models. The bill removes ambiguity in current law, ensuring such vehicles remain subject to existing registration rules, including a DOT inspection to verify safety and ownership. It explicitly excludes street rods, replicas, and glider kits from this definition.

died · Iowa · House Mar 9, 2026

HF 2554: A bill for an act relating to the application of foreign law and limiting changes in venue of civil actions, and including applicability provisions.

HF 2554 prohibits Iowa courts, arbitrators, and agencies from transferring civil cases to foreign jurisdictions if the transfer would apply foreign law violating U.S. or Iowa constitutional rights. It invalidates court rulings, contracts, or jurisdictional agreements that rely on such foreign law, ensuring parties retain constitutional protections. Exceptions include religious disputes handled internally by faith groups and businesses that knowingly choose foreign law or forums. The law applies to new civil cases, contracts, and arbitrations starting from its effective date.

died · Iowa · House Mar 9, 2026

HF 2393: A bill for an act permitting school districts to use certain categorical funds generated from pupils participating in the education savings account program for any school general fund purpose.

HF 2393 allows Iowa school districts to use specific categorical funds - generated from students enrolled in the state's education savings account program - for any general school budget purpose, rather than restricted uses. This change applies only to funds tied to students participating in the education savings account program under Section 257.11B. Previously, these funds had to cover teacher salary supplements, professional development, or leadership program costs, but the bill removes those restrictions starting July 1, 2026. The policy directly affects school districts receiving these funds and provides greater budget flexibility for general operations.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes ✗ Education

in committee · Iowa · House Mar 9, 2026

HF 2555: A bill for an act relating to the use of automatic registration plate readers and providing penalties.

HF 2555 regulates how law enforcement in Iowa uses automatic license plate readers. It requires all plate readers to be approved by a state procurement team, mandates vendors to delete captured vehicle data after 21 days (and audit records after 2 years), and generally requires a warrant for accessing plate data more than 24 hours after capture - except for stolen vehicles, voluntary consent, or emergency situations. The bill directly affects law enforcement agencies and technology vendors supplying plate reader systems, ensuring data is deleted promptly and access is legally justified. Key provisions include strict vendor certification about data handling, mandatory audit trails tracking all system access, and requirements for data security standards.

Topics ✓ Criminal Justice ✓ Technology

died · Iowa · House Mar 9, 2026

HF 2034: A bill for an act relating to open enrollment and interscholastic athletic eligibility requirements.

HF 2034 changes Iowa's rules for student athletes who transfer districts through open enrollment. It extends the waiting period from 90 school days to 140 calendar days before a student in grades 9-12 can join varsity sports at their new school. The bill maintains existing exceptions allowing immediate participation under specific circumstances, such as if the student previously competed in the same sport at their previous school. This directly affects students who use open enrollment to attend high school in a district other than their home district.

died · Iowa · House Mar 9, 2026

HF 2148: A bill for an act eliminating the Iowa smart planning principles and other local comprehensive planning and development guidelines.

HF 2148 eliminates Iowa's "smart planning principles" by repealing Chapter 18B of the Iowa Code, which previously required local governments to consider 10 specific planning guidelines in their comprehensive plans and zoning decisions. This bill directly affects cities and counties across Iowa, removing a mandatory requirement to incorporate these principles when developing or updating land-use plans, zoning regulations, or infrastructure projects. Key provisions include deleting references to the smart planning principles from multiple sections of Iowa law and repealing the foundational sections (18B.1 and 18B.2) that mandated their use. As a result, local governments will no longer need to formally consider these specific principles during planning processes, shifting planning authority to local discretion without state-mandated guidelines.

Topics ✗ Housing

died · Iowa · House Mar 9, 2026

HF 2049: A bill for an act providing for supplementary weighting for school districts that share career and technical education instructors.

This bill adds career and technical education (CTE) instructors to the list of shared positions eligible for supplementary state funding. School districts that share CTE instructors (defined as licensed teachers with specific endorsements for grades 5-12 in fields like agriculture or IT) with other districts or political subdivisions for at least 20% of the school year will receive an additional two "pupil" weightings per shared position. This funding increase aims to support student programming by redirecting resources to districts sharing these instructional staff. The change applies to all qualifying CTE instructor positions, regardless of whether the shared functions are identical across entities.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes ✓ Education

died · Iowa · House Mar 9, 2026

HF 2132: A bill for an act providing for a waiver of tuition and mandatory fees at regents institutions for certain veterans with service-connected disabilities.

HF 2132 would require Iowa's public universities (regents institutions) to waive all tuition and mandatory fees for veterans with a 100% service-connected disability rating certified by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. To qualify, veterans must apply for admission, have exhausted all other federal or state financial aid (like Pell Grants or VA education benefits), and not receive other assistance covering their tuition costs. The bill mandates that institutions prorate the waiver to cover only the gap between other aid received and the full tuition/fees amount. This policy directly affects eligible veterans seeking higher education at Iowa's public universities.

Topics ✓ Education ✓ Veterans

Bill results