Iowa Bills

in committee · Iowa · House Feb 19, 2026

HF 2289: A bill for an act establishing the criminal offense of torture, and providing penalties.

HF 2289 creates a new criminal offense of torture in Iowa, making it a class B felony to intentionally cause serious bodily injury or severe mental suffering while controlling another person's movements. The bill defines key terms like "serious bodily injury" (e.g., internal injuries or burns) and "severe mental pain" (e.g., from threats of death or mind-altering substances). It sets a maximum 50-year prison sentence and clarifies that a conviction won’t prevent separate charges for related acts. The law applies to anyone who inflicts extreme physical or mental pain while holding another person in custody or physical control.

Topics ✓ Criminal Justice

in committee · Iowa · House Feb 19, 2026

HF 2274: A bill for an act requiring persons who operate certain internet sites, applications, or a segment of an internet site or application that contains material pornographic for minors to perform reasonable age verification.

HF 2274 requires operators of internet sites, apps, or site/app segments containing a significant portion of material deemed "pornographic for minors" to implement reasonable age verification. This prevents minors from accessing such content using methods like digital ID checks, commercially reasonable transactional data analysis, or attorney general-approved approaches. The law exempts bona fide news organizations, public interest broadcasts, and internet service providers (unless they created the content). Violations carry civil penalties up to $1,000 per incident, enforced by the attorney general.

Topics ✓ Technology

in committee · Iowa · House Feb 19, 2026

HF 2575: A bill for an act allowing a court to grant a grandparent or great-grandparent visitation rights of a child in certain circumstances.

HF 2575 would change Iowa law to allow courts to grant visitation rights to grandparents or great-grandparents without requiring proof that a parent is "unfit" or that their judgment is "impaired." Currently, courts must find such conditions exist for grandparent visitation, but this bill removes those specific barriers. The law would directly affect grandparents seeking visitation and parents opposing it, as courts would only need to determine if visitation is in the child's best interests and if a substantial relationship exists. This simplifies the legal standard for granting such visitation rights. The bill is currently pending in the Judiciary Subcommittee.

in committee · Iowa · House Feb 19, 2026

HF 2319: A bill for an act exempting service performed for certain employers from eligibility for unemployment insurance, and including applicability provisions.

HF 2319 exempts service performed for certain Amish employers from unemployment insurance eligibility, directly affecting Amish congregations meeting specific religious criteria. Employers must certify to Iowa's workforce department that all owners are Amish members with sincere religious objections to unemployment insurance, obtain written employee acknowledgments of non-eligibility, and submit annual elections. The exemption applies only to employees hired on or after the bill's effective date, requiring ongoing employer compliance. The bill explicitly states it does not exempt employers from federal unemployment laws or other tax obligations.

Topics ✗ Labor & Employment

in committee · Iowa · Senate Feb 19, 2026

SF 2273: A bill for an act relating to the regulation of public utilities, including rate filings, rate adjustment mechanisms, virtual power plants, and integrated resource planning.

SF 2273 regulates Iowa's rate-regulated public utilities by setting rules for rate filings, automatic adjustments, virtual power plants, and long-term energy planning. It requires utilities to file a comprehensive rate review by July 1, 2027 (and every three years after), limits frequent rate change requests to once per year unless approved earlier, and bans automatic rate adjustments for electric utilities to recover transmission costs. The bill defines virtual power plants (customer-owned energy systems managed centrally) as non-public utilities requiring commission approval, mandating they benefit customers in their service area. Additionally, it requires electric utilities to submit integrated resource plans every three years, detailing energy needs, cost analyses, and infrastructure upgrades for 5- and 20-year horizons, with public access to planning data.

in committee · Iowa · Senate Feb 19, 2026

SF 2377: A bill for an act relating to public accessibility to water sample data.

This bill requires Iowa's Department of Natural Resources to create a searchable online database of public water sample data. The database must allow users to filter results by contaminant type (including nitrates), location, water supply system, and sampling date. It mandates that all water testing results from public water systems be publicly accessible in this format, including contaminant levels. The department must have the database operational within six months of the bill's effective date.

Topics ✓ Environment

introduced · Iowa · House Feb 19, 2026

HF 2626: A bill for an act relating to camping, including emergency safety requirements at campgrounds located in floodplains.

HF 2626 requires campgrounds operating in Iowa floodplains to install emergency alarm systems that function without internet and post evacuation directions in all occupied structures. This directly affects campgrounds located in floodplains across Iowa, mandating specific safety measures for visitor protection during flood events. The Iowa Department of Natural Resources will enforce these requirements, ensuring campgrounds have reliable emergency systems in place. The bill focuses on concrete safety infrastructure, not broader policy changes or funding.

in committee · Iowa · House Feb 19, 2026

HF 2612: A bill for an act requiring boards of directors of school districts, the authorities in charge of accredited nonpublic schools, and the governing boards of charter schools to adopt policies related to excusing the absences of students enrolled in grades six through twelve for civic or political events.

HF 2612 requires public school districts, accredited nonpublic schools, and charter schools to adopt policies granting students in grades 6-12 at least one excused absence per school year for participating in specific civic or political events. The policy mandates students provide at least 24 hours' notice to school administrators before the event. Eligible events include voting, serving as a poll worker, attending government meetings, political rallies, forums, or town halls. Crucially, absences for these events will not count toward chronic absenteeism metrics or affect truancy enforcement. This bill directly affects school boards and students in grades 6-12 across Iowa's public and accredited nonpublic school systems.

in committee · Iowa · Senate Feb 19, 2026

SF 2343: A bill for an act relating to vehicle registration plates, including registration plate frames and Gadsden flag special registration plates, providing fees, and making appropriations.

Iowa's SF 2343 authorizes the issuance of Gadsden flag special vehicle registration plates, featuring a yellow-and-white background, a black-and-white rattlesnake image, and the phrase "Don't Tread on Me." Vehicle owners can apply for these plates by paying a $50 annual fee (plus regular registration fees), with personalized options available for an additional $5. Fees collected fund two programs: 50% supports shooting range development grants through the natural resource commission (requiring school access), and 50% funds school infrastructure grants via the homeland security department. The bill also specifies plate design standards and prohibits county-level restrictions on Gadsden plate issuance.

in committee · Iowa · House Feb 19, 2026

HF 2630: A bill for an act relating to salaries of peace officers of the department of public safety.

HF 2630 sets specific salary increases for peace officers in Iowa's Department of Public Safety based on rank. It requires that sergeants earn 15% more than senior troopers, lieutenants earn 10% more than sergeants, captains/special agent in charge earn 10% more than lieutenants, majors/assistant directors earn 10% more than captains, and colonels/directors earn 15% more than majors. Sworn supervisors, including conservation officer supervisors, must receive the same wage and merit increases negotiated through collective bargaining under Chapter 20. The bill directly affects all peace officers and supervisors within the Department of Public Safety.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes ✓ Labor & Employment

in committee · Iowa · Senate Feb 19, 2026

SF 2268: A bill for an act establishing an Iowa-Ireland trade commission and making appropriations.

SF 2268 creates an Iowa-Ireland trade commission to strengthen economic ties between Iowa and Ireland. The commission, composed of eight members including state legislators with Irish trade expertise, private sector representatives, and industry leaders, will promote business exchanges, recommend joint policy actions, and encourage mutual investment in infrastructure. It must meet quarterly, submit annual reports to the governor and legislature, and operate with funding from the state general fund (reimbursing members only for travel expenses). The bill directly affects Iowa businesses and organizations engaged in trade with Ireland, aiming to facilitate concrete economic collaboration.

introduced · Iowa · House Feb 19, 2026

HF 2605: A bill for an act establishing the criminal offense of torture, and providing penalties.

HF 2605 establishes torture as a new criminal offense in Iowa, targeting individuals who inflict severe physical or mental suffering on someone they are controlling. The bill defines key terms like "serious bodily injury" (e.g., risk of death, severe burns) and "severe mental pain" (e.g., from threats of death or mind-altering substances), requiring the perpetrator to act with intent to cause such harm. Violators face a class B felony charge with a maximum 50-year prison sentence, and proof of victim pain is not required for conviction. This law applies to situations where a person is held against their will (e.g., in custody or confinement), and it does not prevent additional charges under other state laws for the same act.

Topics ✗ Criminal Justice

Bill results