Technology

SF 577 defines "critical infrastructure" to include telecommunications services, information services, cable services, and wireless services. It makes intentionally causing a widespread disruption to these services a class B felony, punishable by up to 25 years in prison and fines between $85,000 and $100,000. The bill directly affects individuals who deliberately sabotage essential communication systems without authorization. This legislation was introduced in Iowa in 2025 but was withdrawn on April 14, 2025, after being attached to another bill.

This bill modifies state government operations, primarily affecting the Department of Management and other state agencies. It establishes the use and funding of a technology reinvestment fund for state information technology projects, outlining criteria for project prioritization and specific annual appropriations. The bill also updates background check requirements for state IT staff, increasing the frequency of national criminal history checks to every five years. Furthermore, it prohibits certain terms in state contracts that could violate the Iowa Constitution or be unilaterally changed without state knowledge.

HF 204 requires Iowa's Department of Education to provide technical assistance to school districts for starting career-focused robotics clubs that comply with federal education rules. It also allows high school athletic organizations to sponsor robotics competitions using school district or state funds. The bill specifically supports robotics teams and competitions under existing career and technical education frameworks. This directly affects school districts, athletic organizations, and students participating in robotics programs.

This Iowa bill (SF 443) requires commercial websites ("covered platforms") that regularly publish or distribute obscene material online to verify users' ages using methods like government IDs or financial documents. It prohibits these platforms from retaining or selling users' age verification data after checks are completed, while allowing privacy-preserving techniques like zero-knowledge proofs. Violations could result in civil penalties up to $10,000 per offense, enforced by the state attorney general. The law explicitly excludes liability for internet users, basic service providers (like ISPs), or platforms merely connecting to third-party content.