This bill (SF 2175) makes broad changes to Iowa's education system, primarily affecting charter schools, nonpublic schools, and public school districts. It modifies charter school funding formulas to include additional state cost components, adds charter school employees to the state retirement system, and allows students in charter or nonpublic schools to participate in public school sports under specific conditions (e.g., no prior participation by their school and payment of fees). The bill also designates charter schools as local education agencies for federal funding access and authorizes the Iowa Finance Authority to issue bonds for charter and nonpublic school facilities. These changes apply to school budget years starting July 1, 2026.
HF 2717 defines "major rules" as those with significant costs ($200k+ annual or $1M+ over 5 years), adverse economic impacts, or Clean Air Act changes. It requires state agencies to classify proposed rules as "major" and provide detailed regulatory analyses covering costs, benefits, alternatives, and impacts on businesses and communities. The bill also mandates that the Legislative Services Agency conduct its own review of major rules, including cost assessments for regulated entities and state revenue effects. This procedural change affects how Iowa agencies develop regulations and directly impacts businesses, local governments, and individuals subject to new rules. The bill is pending in the 2026 legislative session.
HF 2590 directs Iowa's Department of Management to sell the state-owned communications network as soon as feasible. It requires the sale to include a 10-year guarantee that existing authorized users (like government agencies and schools) can continue receiving network services on reasonable terms. The department must submit quarterly progress reports starting October 2026 and provide a detailed sale plan 10 days before closing. Proceeds from the sale will go to the state general fund, and the bill removes previous restrictions that limited how the network could be used or resold. The sale authorization takes effect immediately, while other changes to network rules take effect July 1, 2027.
HF 2688 requires data centers in Iowa that claim sales tax exemptions or refunds to invest 5% of the value of those exemptions/refunds from the previous year into qualifying businesses or innovation funds. This applies directly to data center businesses using specific tax exemptions under sections 423.3 and 423.4. If they fail to meet this investment requirement, the state cancels their tax exemption eligibility and requires them to repay all claimed exemptions/refunds as regular tax payments. The bill also updates annual reporting requirements for data centers to include details on exempt purchases and tax refunds starting in 2027.
This Iowa bill (SF 2435) modifies property tax credits for elderly and disabled homeowners and streamlines rules for abandoned mobile homes in rural areas. It updates eligibility for annual property tax credits paid by June 15 and rent reimbursements paid by December 31, directly affecting qualifying low-income seniors and disabled residents. The bill creates a new definition for "valueless homes" (mobile homes with no market value on rural property) and allows rural property owners or mobile home park operators to remove these without court orders, requiring written notice to county treasurers within 10 days. It also adds procedures for issuing new titles to third parties and ensures tax sales can be postponed for disaster-related reasons.
SF 2141 establishes a dedicated "technology reinvestment fund" to support Iowa state government IT projects. It allocates $17.5 million annually (starting July 2026) from the general fund and $18.27 million from the rebuild Iowa infrastructure fund for technology infrastructure upgrades, new systems, and maintenance that enhance government services while protecting resident privacy. The bill requires the Department of Management to prioritize projects based on strategic alignment, ROI, scalability, rural access improvements, and sustainability, and mandates annual project status reports to the legislature. It also adds background check requirements for IT staff and contractors (including FBI checks every 5 years) and prohibits specific contract terms like excessive indemnity clauses or foreign law jurisdiction. The bill directly affects all Iowa state agencies using technology infrastructure funded through this mechanism.
HF 2007 creates a program providing state grants to small rural police departments (serving ≤10,000 people) and volunteer fire departments to cover costs for emergency medical technician (EMT) training for their personnel. Departments must demonstrate a need for EMT services in their area and commit to deploying trained staff, with grants covering tuition, equipment, and certification fees. The state appropriates up to $100,000 annually (2026-2030) from the general fund to fund these grants, administered by the Department of Health and Human Services. Grantees must submit annual reports on personnel trained and program impact, with a final evaluation due to the legislature by December 2029. The program expires on July 1, 2030.
Sub-Topics
State Budget
Tags
Emergency Management
Public Safety
This bill increases the annual cap on periodic examination fees collected by Iowa's auditor of state from $375,000 to $600,000. Cities not required to have an audit or fiscal examination will pay fees based on their budgeted spending (a sliding scale), with the new cap allowing higher total revenue. If fees exceed $600,000 in a fiscal year, the auditor must use the excess to provide or contract for municipal financial management training for city officials. The bill affects cities meeting the specified fee-exempt criteria and applies to fees collected starting July 1, 2026.
This bill authorizes the Iowa Economic Development Authority to transfer up to $633,000 annually from the energy and water infrastructure revolving loan fund to Iowa State University of Science and Technology. The funds must be used to provide financial assistance to the state load forecasting center, which supports electricity grid planning. The transfer is required to begin July 1, 2026, and applies to each subsequent fiscal year.
This bill appropriates $1 million from Iowa's general fund for fiscal year 2026-2027 to support the Double Up Food Bucks program. It directly affects Iowa residents who receive federal SNAP benefits (food assistance) by expanding their access to fresh fruits and vegetables. The funds will be provided as a grant to the Iowa Healthiest State Initiative to help participants double the value of their SNAP benefits when purchasing produce at participating farmers markets and grocery stores. The program aims to increase access to healthy food options without changing existing SNAP eligibility or benefit amounts.
