Iowa Bills

in committee · Iowa · Senate Feb 12, 2026

SF 2258: A bill for an act relating to animal feeding operations by providing for certain air and water quality regulations, including when two or more related confinement feeding operations are deemed to be a single operation, making penalties applicable, and including effective date and applicability provisions.

SF 2258 clarifies when multiple livestock facilities (animal feeding operations) must be treated as a single operation for environmental regulations. It defines specific triggers, such as facilities being within 2,500 feet, sharing manure systems or roads, or under common ownership. When these conditions apply, all related facilities are combined for regulatory purposes, meaning their combined size determines compliance with air and water quality rules and potential penalties. The bill also restricts expansions of related facilities unless new structures meet distance requirements. This primarily affects large livestock operations with multiple interconnected facilities in Iowa.

Topics ✓ Environment

in committee · Iowa · Senate Feb 12, 2026

SF 2211: A bill for an act relating to the Iowa medical freedom Act, including limitations on requiring medical interventions by businesses, governmental entities, and educational institutions, modifying state authority during public health disasters, and including effective date provisions.

This bill prohibits Iowa businesses, schools, and government agencies from requiring medical interventions (like vaccines or treatments) as a condition for services, employment, or access to facilities. It specifically bans discrimination against individuals based on medical intervention status, including in hiring, pay, or admission. Limited exceptions apply only for employment requiring travel to foreign countries that mandate specific medical interventions, requiring written contracts or 14 days' advance notice. The law directly affects all public-facing institutions and employers in Iowa, including schools, hospitals, and government services.

Topics ✗ Healthcare ✓ Labor & Employment

in committee · Iowa · Senate Feb 12, 2026

SF 2266: A bill for an act relating to clean water monitoring by requiring agencies to publish disaggregated data, including data associated with contributions by nonpoint sources.

SF 2266 requires Iowa's Department of Natural Resources and the Division of Soil Conservation and Water Quality to publish disaggregated water quality data online, specifically showing contributions from nonpoint sources like agricultural runoff to designated water bodies. This affects agricultural landowners and operators near water sources, as the bill removes confidentiality protections for data identifying their operations that contribute to water quality issues. The key mechanism mandates agencies to break down aggregated monitoring data into detailed reports by water classification, updating these publicly on a shared website. This change makes previously confidential data about farm-related water pollution contributions publicly accessible.

Topics ✓ Environment

in committee · Iowa · Senate Feb 12, 2026

SF 2170: A bill for an act modifying provisions related to the district-to-community college sharing or concurrent enrollment program.

This bill (SF 2170) modifies Iowa's concurrent enrollment program, which allows high school students (grades 9-12) to take college courses at community colleges. Its key change requires students to enroll in in-person course sections at community colleges unless a school superintendent specifically authorizes online enrollment. The bill also maintains requirements for school districts to approve courses for academic rigor, provide written notices about course details to students and parents, and ensure comparable courses aren’t already offered locally. These changes aim to standardize enrollment procedures while preserving the program’s goal of offering rigorous academic options. The bill does not alter funding or eligibility but clarifies operational rules for the existing program.

Topics ✓ Education

in committee · Iowa · Senate Feb 12, 2026

SF 2236: A bill for an act prohibiting certain changes of ownership of a previously licensed nursing facility.

This bill prohibits Iowa's Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing (DIAL) from approving ownership transfers of licensed nursing facilities to specific entities. It directly affects nursing facilities seeking new owners who are private equity funds, majority-owned by such funds, affiliates of private equity funds, real estate investment trusts (REITs), majority-owned by REITs, or REIT affiliates. The key mechanism requires DIAL to deny any ownership change request if the buyer fits one of these defined categories. The bill aims to prevent ownership shifts to these investment structures, though it does not ban all ownership changes. (3 sentences)

Topics ✓ Healthcare

in committee · Iowa · Senate Feb 12, 2026

SF 2334: A bill for an act relating to tax and special assessment collections for buildings or improvements erected on land owned by another person.

This bill changes how property taxes and special assessments are collected for buildings or improvements made on land owned by someone else. It specifically allows counties to collect unpaid special assessments (like costs for street repairs) on residential buildings or improvements valued at $20,000 or more, if the improvement was built by a tenant or third party on another person's land. Previously, such special assessments couldn't be collected this way for qualifying residential properties. The bill also requires county treasurers to notify both the landowner and the improvement owner when starting tax collection for these delinquent amounts.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes

in committee · Iowa · Senate Feb 12, 2026

SF 2245: A bill for an act relating to audits of governmental subdivisions by the state auditor concerning suspected embezzlement, theft, or other significant financial irregularities.

SF 2245 requires Iowa governmental subdivisions (like cities, counties, school districts, and hospitals) to cooperate with the state auditor when suspected embezzlement, theft, or major financial irregularities involving public funds are reported. It mandates that the subdivision reimburse the state auditor for investigation costs, but only up to the amount of misused public funds as determined by the auditor. The bill establishes a clear process where the auditor decides whether to conduct further investigations after initial notification. This directly affects local government entities handling public funds by creating a defined reimbursement mechanism for financial misconduct probes.

in committee · Iowa · Senate Feb 12, 2026

SF 2176: A bill for an act relating to the district-to-community college sharing or concurrent enrollment program.

This bill requires students (or their parents/guardians if the student is a minor) to reimburse school districts if they fail a community college course taken through the district-to-community college concurrent enrollment program. Specifically, if a student fails a class offered by a community college or taught by a community college instructor, the school district can request payment equal to the amount it paid the college for that student's participation. The reimbursement applies only to the district's direct costs for that specific course, not to the student's regular tuition or fees. This policy directly affects high school students in Iowa's concurrent enrollment programs who fail a college-level course.

Topics ✗ Education

in committee · Iowa · Senate Feb 12, 2026

SF 2272: A bill for an act providing for a veterans’ benefits and services poster for employers to display in the workplace.

SF 2272 requires Iowa employers with 50+ full-time employees to display a veterans' benefits poster in the workplace. The poster, created by the Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing in coordination with the Department of Veterans Affairs, must include key resources like mental health services, education/training programs, tax benefits, driver’s license assistance, unemployment insurance eligibility, and legal services. Employers must display the poster prominently where employees can easily see it. This bill directly affects businesses meeting the 50-employee threshold and aims to make veterans' support resources more accessible.

Topics ✓ Labor & Employment ✓ Veterans

in committee · Iowa · Senate Feb 12, 2026

SF 2259: A bill for an act regulating confinement feeding operations by providing for construction permits, and making penalties applicable.

SF 2259 lowers the threshold requiring a construction permit for new confinement feeding operations from 1,000 animal units (AUs) to 300 AUs. This directly affects smaller livestock operations - specifically, those that would exceed 300 AUs after construction, such as farms housing approximately 750 swine over 55 pounds. The bill modifies existing permit requirements under Iowa’s Animal Agriculture Compliance Act, while maintaining that unformed manure storage structures always require a permit. Penalties for violations remain unchanged, with civil fines up to $10,000 per day for noncompliance.

Topics ✓ Environment

in committee · Iowa · Senate Feb 12, 2026

SF 2277: A bill for an act relating to rights of employees and requirements of employers with respect to labor union membership.

This bill (SF 2277) removes existing Iowa laws that protected workers' rights regarding labor union membership. It repeals provisions that previously prohibited employers from: denying employment based on union affiliation or refusal to join a union, excluding non-union workers from employment, or requiring union dues as a condition of employment. The bill directly affects employees who may now face employment decisions based on union membership status, and employers who no longer face legal restrictions on such practices. These changes eliminate specific legal safeguards for workers that were previously codified in Iowa Code sections 731.1-731.3.

Topics ✗ Labor & Employment

in committee · Iowa · Senate Feb 12, 2026

SF 2267: A bill for an act relating to clean water projects and programs by requiring agencies to publish data regarding progress in meeting certain benchmarks.

SF 2267 requires Iowa's Department of Natural Resources and the Division of Soil Conservation and Water Quality (within the Department of Agriculture) to publish online, regularly updated reports tracking progress on state-funded clean water projects. These reports must include water quality data collected before, during, and after projects, specifically for initiatives monitoring surface water to establish benchmarks for goals like reducing pollutants or runoff. The bill applies to any state-funded program measuring nutrient levels, stormwater, or runoff, making the data publicly accessible via a joint agency website. This focuses on transparency for projects already authorized under existing water quality laws, without creating new programs or mandates.

Topics ✓ Environment

Bill results