Rep. Zach Dieken

Maddy summaryHF 2209 requires Iowa State University's College of Veterinary Medicine to admit at least 80% of students who are Iowa residents or attended eligible Iowa colleges. It prioritizes applicants planning to work in Iowa rural communities (under 25,000 people) and specialize in mixed-animal veterinary care. Applicants must disclose their Iowa background and career intentions in their applications. The university must submit annual reports to the legislature detailing admission statistics and reasons for rejections.

Maddy summaryHF 2145 prohibits the Iowa governor from closing, mandating restrictions on, or regulating places of worship during any emergency, including disaster declarations or public health crises. It directly affects all religious buildings in Iowa with an active congregation, ensuring they cannot be subject to executive orders under emergency powers. The bill explicitly defines "place of worship" as a building where a congregation regularly gathers for religious practice, blocking any governor-led restrictions during emergencies. This is a procedural measure limiting executive authority, not creating new regulations.

Maddy summaryHF 2079 requires public schools and athletic organizations to accept cash (legal tender) as the only payment method for entry fees to school sports events. It directly affects public schools and extracurricular athletic organizations that sponsor competitions. The bill mandates that schools must accept cash for entry, and organizations must agree to this as a condition of registering with the state education department. This policy change eliminates the use of alternative payment methods like credit cards or checks for these specific athletic event entries. The bill focuses solely on standardizing payment types for school sports participation.

Maddy summaryHF 463 creates two specialized human trafficking prosecution units within Iowa's Department of Justice, one serving western Iowa and the other eastern Iowa (divided by Interstate 35). These units will bring together prosecutors, investigators, law enforcement, victim services, healthcare professionals, and community advocates to investigate, prosecute human trafficking cases, and support victims. The units will also provide community training and technical assistance to raise awareness. The bill directly affects victims of human trafficking and requires coordination between the Attorney General's office, public safety, and health agencies. It defines "human trafficking" using the existing legal standard from Iowa Code section 710A.1.

Maddy summaryHF 2395 bans the addition of hydrofluorosilicic acid and other fluoride-based additives to both public and private drinking water systems in Iowa. It requires county health boards to set private water standards that prevent fluoride levels exceeding natural background amounts, and directs the environmental protection commission to establish public water standards with the same limit. The bill updates drinking water rules to ensure they align with federal standards while prohibiting artificial fluoride addition. This directly affects all public water utilities and private well owners subject to county health regulations. The policy change specifically eliminates the use of fluoride additives in water treatment, setting maximum allowable levels at naturally occurring background concentrations.

Maddy summaryHF 2398 modifies Iowa's rules about firearms on school property by creating specific exceptions to the general prohibition. It allows school districts to authorize drivers of school vehicles to carry firearms in the vehicle during pupil transport. It also permits individuals with a valid weapon carry permit to keep a concealed pistol in their locked vehicle while on school grounds (in driveways or parking areas) during activities like dropping off students or making deliveries. Additionally, retired peace officers who retired in good standing and completed recent firearm safety training may carry firearms on school grounds. The bill takes immediate effect upon enactment.

Maddy summaryHF 2379 would amend Iowa law to allow individuals with a valid permit to carry weapons to possess firearms on school grounds under specific conditions. The bill creates a new exception to the current prohibition (which treats carrying weapons on school grounds as a class D felony), permitting permit holders who carry a firearm for a lawful purpose on their person, with the firearm continuously under their control. This directly affects licensed gun permit holders who wish to carry firearms on school property for permitted activities, such as security roles or personal protection during lawful school events. The key change removes the felony charge for these permit holders when meeting the defined conditions of continuous control and lawful purpose.

Maddy summaryHF 2316 amends Iowa law to define an "unborn child" as an individual organism from fertilization to fetal death or live birth, treating them as legal persons for specific purposes. It expands wrongful death damages to include the death of an unborn child, and creates new criminal provisions making homicide and assault against an unborn child subject to the same legal protections as crimes against born persons. The bill explicitly excludes unintentional harm or death resulting from life-saving medical procedures for the pregnant woman or miscarriages. This law applies only to incidents occurring on or after its effective date.

Maddy summaryThis bill removes Iowa's requirement for students to provide proof of specific vaccinations to enroll in public or private elementary and secondary schools. It eliminates mandates for immunizations against diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, polio, measles, rubella, and chickenpox, as well as hepatitis B for children born after 1994 and meningococcal disease for grades 7 and 12. The bill also strikes related provisions requiring schools to provide exemption information and parents to submit immunization records when placing children in private instruction. These changes apply directly to students, parents, and schools across Iowa.

Maddy summaryHF 2192 raises the voter approval threshold for school district bond proposals from 60% to 80% of total votes cast, while maintaining the 60% requirement for other local entities like counties or cities. It also requires school districts to set aside at least 50% of a project's total cost in dedicated funds before holding a bond election, and prohibits a school district from resubmitting a failed bond proposal for four years after a vote rejection. The bill directly affects Iowa school districts seeking to issue bonds for capital projects, such as building or renovating schools. These changes aim to strengthen voter approval requirements and ensure financial commitment before bond elections.