HF 2454 creates a temporary license for mental health counselors who have met all licensing requirements except the postgraduate supervised clinical experience. This allows school districts, accredited nonpublic schools, charter schools, and innovation zone schools to hire such temporary counselors to provide mental health services to students under a qualified supervisor. The temporary license is valid for three years and renewable, with fees set by the licensing board to cover administrative costs. Schools must ensure these counselors work under supervision as defined by the board.
This bill (SF 2241) sets new requirements for Iowa charter schools, directly affecting charter schools and their relationships with school districts. Key provisions include limiting charter schools to one per 10,000 students statewide per grade level (elementary/middle/high), mandating that governing boards include at least 50% parents of enrolled students and a school district representative, and requiring detailed annual reports on student enrollment, withdrawals, finances (including management fees), and academic performance. Charter schools must also comply with public fund restrictions and assessment reporting similar to traditional public schools. The state board of education will develop oversight standards to monitor academic, financial, and operational performance, with enhanced monitoring for underperforming schools.
HF 2566 requires cities in Iowa that provide fire protection or emergency medical services to other cities or townships under contract to establish a dedicated "fire protection and emergency medical services fund." All money received from those contracts must be deposited into this fund. The fund can only be used to pay for the fire and emergency medical services provided to the other cities or township areas outside the contracting city's limits. Any leftover money in the fund at year-end stays in the fund for future service costs.
HF 2552 exempts specific cancer care facilities from Iowa's certificate of need (CON) requirements. The bill defines "cancer care provider" to include outpatient oncology clinics, radiation therapy centers, chemotherapy infusion centers, cancer diagnostic facilities, oncology surgical centers, and related support services. This means these providers no longer need state approval (a certificate of need) before starting or changing services like cancer treatment. The exemption directly affects these cancer care facilities by removing a regulatory barrier for their operations.
HF 2556 bans all state agencies, law enforcement, and contractors acting for government from using automatic license plate reader (ALPR) systems or retaining their data. It requires existing ALPRs to be removed and all collected data destroyed within 30 days of the law's effective date. The bill creates a private right to sue for violations (with $1,000+ per day penalties), prohibits ALPR evidence in court, and imposes civil fines of $10,000+ per violation. This replaces Iowa’s current law, which only required deleting ALPR images after 30 days, with a complete prohibition on the technology.
This bill establishes rules for residents or their representatives to use video monitoring devices in nursing facility rooms. It requires written consent from the resident (or their representative if the resident lacks capacity) before placing any device, and mandates that facilities obtain written consent from all roommates in shared rooms before monitoring begins. If a roommate refuses consent, the facility must try to move the resident to a private room (at the resident's cost) or another shared room without requiring monitoring. The law also specifies standard conditions for monitoring and allows residents to withdraw consent anytime. It directly affects nursing home residents, their representatives, and facilities managing resident rooms.
HF 2452 establishes a state-run data security program within Iowa's Department of Education, allowing school districts to opt in for enhanced protection of student and district data. The department must select data security vendors through a request for proposals process, and participating school districts must commit for an entire school year without mid-year withdrawal. The bill appropriates $250,000 from the state general fund for the 2026-2027 fiscal year to fund this program, with money in the dedicated fund rolling over annually instead of reverting to the general fund. This program directly affects school districts choosing to participate and aims to standardize data security practices across Iowa's educational institutions.
HF 2504 prohibits distributing nitrous oxide with the intent to induce unlawful inhalation or knowing it will be inhaled unlawfully, making such acts a serious misdemeanor. It directly affects retailers and businesses selling nitrous oxide, creating a rebuttable presumption that they violated the law if they distribute it or possess it with intent to distribute. The bill targets commercial sales (like whipped cream chargers) by shifting the burden to businesses to prove they didn’t intend for illegal use, without changing general sales rules. The bill is currently pending after introduction on February 16, 2026.
HF 2479 allows Iowa drivers who are honorably discharged veterans to request that their driver's license include the word "VETERAN" prominently displayed. It directly affects veterans, including National Guard members regardless of their active duty service days (removing a current requirement of at least 90 days). To qualify, applicants must provide proof of service, such as a DD-214 form showing honorable discharge, and the Department of Transportation will notify local veteran affairs commissions. The bill clarifies the definition of "veteran" for license marking purposes, aligning with broader state veteran status definitions.
This bill requires property and casualty insurers in Iowa to provide insureds with specific policy and claim details within 15 days of a request, including policy copies, claim applications, internal communications, and payment records. It prohibits insurers from including unfair deadlines in policies, such as short timeframes for recovering depreciation (must be at least one year after payment) or limiting lawsuit filing windows for denied claims (minimum five years from loss or two years from denial). Insurers must also give written notice of these deadlines 90 days in advance. The bill directly affects homeowners and renters filing property insurance claims by increasing transparency and preventing restrictive policy terms.
HF 2465 requires the Iowa state treasurer to issue commemorative gold, silver, and platinum coins featuring imagery of Iowa and Governor Kimberly Reynolds. The coins must be sold to the public at a price no higher than 107% of the metal's market value at the time of sale. This bill directly affects the public through the availability of these commemorative coins for purchase. It is a procedural measure with no substantive policy changes beyond the coin issuance and pricing rules.
HF 2472 reduces financial penalties for raccoon-related violations in Iowa. It lowers the reimbursement amount for unlawfully taking raccoons from $200 to $15 and decreases scheduled fines for offenses like trapping or selling raccoons from $70-$100 to $15. The bill also clarifies that hunters with a fur harvester license do not need a separate hunting license to target raccoons and prohibits the state from restricting hunting seasons for raccoons on public land with valid licenses. These changes directly affect individuals hunting, trapping, or selling raccoons in Iowa.
