Budget & Taxes

passed both · Iowa · Senate May 11, 2026

SJR 11: A joint resolution proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the State of Iowa relating to requirements for certain state tax law changes.

SJR 11 proposes an amendment to the Iowa Constitution that would change the requirements for passing certain state tax laws. It mandates that any bill increasing state individual or corporate income tax rates, or establishing a new state tax on income or reserves, must receive a two-thirds majority vote in both the House and Senate. This requirement does not apply to taxes imposed by local governments. The amendment also sets a one-year limit for legal challenges to the enactment of such tax bills. If passed by two consecutive General Assemblies, Iowa voters would consider this amendment in the November 2026 general election.

Topics ✗ Budget & TaxesOpposes Budget & TaxesRequires two-thirds majority for income/corporate tax increases, restricting legislative ability to raise taxes per constitutional amendment.90% confidence | Rep's Stance Voted absent

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passed · Iowa · Senate Apr 8, 2026

SF 633: A bill for an act relating to forest and fruit-tree reservations by establishing a program fee and including contingent effective date provisions.

SF 633 establishes a yearly program fee for landowners with forest or fruit-tree reservations that are currently exempt from property taxes under Iowa law. Starting in 2026, these landowners must pay $2-$3 per acre (depending on location relative to homesteads) to their county treasurer by September 1 each year. Fees collected before 2028 can fund general county spending, but after 2028, they must be used for property tax relief beginning in 2029, with adjustments tied to inflation. The bill directly affects landowners maintaining tax-exempt forest or fruit-tree reservations, particularly those in counties with homestead owners nearby.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesMandates fees from tax-exempt landowners to fund property tax relief starting 2029, directly advancing tax relief for taxpayers.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Budget & Taxes

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signed · Iowa · Senate Jun 27, 2025

SF 657: A bill for an act related to state taxation and finance and other related matters, by creating, modifying, and eliminating tax credits and tax incentive programs, providing for penalties, and including effective date and retroactive applicability provisions.

SF 657 modifies the state's tax credit system by creating new credits, changing existing ones, and eliminating some tax incentive programs. It establishes penalties for failing to comply with these tax credit rules and specifies when the changes take effect, including retroactive application to prior tax years. This bill directly affects businesses and individuals who claim tax credits under the state's finance code. Signed into law by the Governor on June 6, 2025, it changes how taxpayers access and qualify for state tax incentives.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesCreates new tax credits and modifies existing ones to support business development and economic growth, aligning with fiscal responsibility measures.92% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Budget & Taxes

signed · Iowa · Senate Jun 27, 2025

SF 660: A bill for an act relating to sports wagering and tourism, making appropriations, and including effective date provisions.

SF 660 establishes a regulatory framework for legal sports wagering within the state and allocates state funds to support tourism initiatives. It directly affects licensed sports betting operators, state tourism agencies, and businesses in the hospitality sector. Key provisions include creating licensing requirements for sports wagering entities, setting tax rates on bets, and directing new revenue toward tourism marketing and infrastructure projects. The bill was signed into law by the Governor on June 11, 2025, following unanimous passage in the Senate.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesCreates tax revenue from sports betting and allocates funds to tourism infrastructure, directly funding public initiatives through new appropriations.95% confidence | Rep's Stance Voted absent

signed · Iowa · Senate Jun 27, 2025

SF 628: A bill for an act relating to transportation and other infrastructure-related appropriations to the department of transportation, including allocation and use of moneys from the road use tax fund, the primary road fund, and the statutory allocations fund.

SF 628 allocates specific state transportation funds to renovate the Waterloo maintenance garage for Department of Transportation (DOT) employees. It directs money from the road use tax fund, primary road fund, and statutory allocations fund toward this facility upgrade. The bill directly affects DOT maintenance staff working at the Waterloo location by improving their workplace. Signed by the Governor in June 2025, it became law to fund this specific infrastructure project.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesAllocates existing transportation funds (road use tax, primary road fund) to fund infrastructure renovation, directly supporting fiscal management and essential public infrastructure spending.95% confidence ✓ TransportationSupports TransportationAllocates transportation-specific funds (road use tax, primary road fund) to renovate DOT maintenance facility, directly funding infrastructure upkeep for transportation operations.95% confidence | Rep's Stance Voted absent

signed · Iowa · Senate Jun 27, 2025

SF 646: A bill for an act relating to and making appropriations involving state government entities associated with agriculture, natural resources, and environmental protection.

SF 646 is a fiscal appropriation bill for the 2025-2026 state budget, funding state agencies focused on agriculture, natural resources, and environmental protection. It authorizes spending to support these agencies' operations and programs but does not detail specific policy changes in the provided text. The bill was passed by the legislature and signed into law by the Governor on June 11, 2025. The provided bill text excerpt is incomplete and does not specify concrete mechanisms or provisions beyond general funding authorization. Without sufficient text to describe key mechanisms or affected programs, a detailed summary cannot be accurately generated.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesAuthorizes 2025-2026 appropriations for agriculture, natural resources, and environmental protection agencies, directly funding state operations under budget & taxes topic.95% confidence ✓ EnvironmentSupports EnvironmentFunds environmental protection agencies and programs through fiscal appropriation without policy restrictions, advancing operations per budget allocation.85% confidence | Rep's Stance Voted absent

signed · Iowa · Senate Jun 27, 2025

SF 647: A bill for an act relating to and making appropriations to the education system, including the funding and operation of the department for the blind, department of education, and state board of regents, and including contingent effective date provisions.

SF 647 is a budget bill that allocates state funding to the Department for the Blind, the Department of Education, and the State Board of Regents. It provides financial resources for their day-to-day operations and program delivery. The bill includes specific conditions that determine when certain funding becomes effective. This legislation directly affects these state agencies and the educational services they provide to residents.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesAllocates state funding to education departments and blind services, directly supporting budget appropriations for public education programs.95% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill allocates state funding to education departments and agencies, directly advancing operational resources for K-12 and higher education services per appropriations language.95% confidence | Rep's Stance Voted absent

signed · Iowa · Senate Jun 27, 2025

SF 644: A bill for an act relating to and making appropriations to the justice system, providing for properly related matters including indigent defense and representation, the corrections capital reinvestment fund, and a corrections federal receipts fund, and including effective date and retroactive applicability provisions.

SF 644 is a funding bill that allocates state money to key parts of the justice system. It directly provides resources for legal representation for people who cannot afford an attorney (indigent defense), funds for rebuilding or improving correctional facilities (corrections capital reinvestment), and manages federal funds received by the corrections system (corrections federal receipts fund). The bill specifies how these funds are to be used and when the funding takes effect. It was signed into law by the Governor on June 11, 2025.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill allocates state funds to justice system programs including indigent defense and corrections capital reinvestment, directly advancing essential public service funding within budget appropriations.95% confidence ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeFunds indigent defense, corrections infrastructure, and federal fund management - directly allocates state resources to strengthen justice system components per bill summary.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Budget & Taxes

signed · Iowa · House Jun 6, 2025

HF 975: A bill for an act relating to matters under the purview of the economic development authority and the Iowa finance authority including the strategic infrastructure program, brownfield, grayfield, and redevelopment tax credits, community attraction and tourism, vision Iowa, sports tourism marketing, the historic preservation tax credit, homelessness, the title guaranty board, arts and culture, and the Iowa reinvestment Act and including applicability and retroactive applicability provisions.

HF 975 amends multiple economic development and community programs in Iowa, affecting local governments, businesses, and residents participating in initiatives like brownfield redevelopment, historic preservation, tourism marketing, and homelessness services. It modifies tax credit programs for brownfields, grayfields, and historic preservation, adjusts funding for tourism and community attraction, and updates the Iowa Reinvestment Act. The bill also clarifies applicability and retroactive provisions for these programs. Signed into law by the Governor on June 6, 2025, it updates existing frameworks rather than creating new programs.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesModifies tax credit programs (brownfield, historic preservation, tourism) maintaining tax incentives that provide relief to businesses and communities, aligning with tax relief indicators.85% confidence ✓ HousingSupports HousingBill explicitly modifies homelessness services and updates tax credit programs for brownfield redevelopment, directly addressing housing stability and affordable housing initiatives.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Budget & Taxes

signed · Iowa · Senate Jun 6, 2025

SF 641: A bill for an act relating to matters under the purview of the department of health and human services, including administrative services organizations, child foster care, child and dependent adult abuse, internal audit and examination information, and the region incentive fund in the mental health and disability services regional service fund, health maintenance organization’s premium tax, and making appropriations and including effective date and retroactive applicability provisions.

This bill enacts changes across several areas overseen by the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services. It introduces definitions for "behavioral health districts" and "disability access points" and establishes new restrictions on who can serve as an advocate for involuntarily hospitalized patients, excluding those affiliated with administrative services organizations (ASOs) or care providers. The bill also updates child foster care laws to formally include "approved kinship caregivers" alongside licensed foster parents, granting them decision-making authority under the "reasonable and prudent parent standard" and ensuring their participation in care planning. These provisions directly affect individuals receiving mental health and disability services, children in foster care, and the various organizations involved in providing these services.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill includes appropriations and funding provisions for health and human services programs, establishing definitions and restrictions to improve service delivery and fiscal management.75% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill protects patient rights by restricting ASO involvement in involuntary hospitalization advocacy and expands foster care definitions, supporting healthcare access and patient protection.75% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Budget & Taxes