Rep. Brett Barker

Maddy summaryHF 127 requires Iowa counties with populations of 125,000+ (based on the latest census) or those containing a state university campus to use "Plan Three" for electing county supervisors. This means these counties must adopt a specific representation map for supervisor elections, with new maps due by October 2025 for the 2026 general election. For supervisor vacancies, the bill mandates special elections in larger counties (125k+ population or university campuses) but allows appointments in smaller counties instead. The bill directly affects county governance structures in qualifying counties, altering both election planning and vacancy procedures.

Maddy summaryHF 157 would have required Iowa city councils to notify residents if they planned to appoint someone to fill a vacant city office, allowing voting residents to petition for a special election instead if the remaining time in the term was at least one year. The bill specified that if enough signatures were collected within 14 days of the notice, the council’s appointment would become temporary and a special election would be held. It directly affected city councils and residents in Iowa cities with elective offices facing vacancies. The bill was withdrawn in March 2025 and did not become law.

Maddy summaryHF 920 appropriates $1 million from Iowa's general fund for fiscal year 2025-2026 to support the Double Up Food Bucks program. The program provides matching funds for SNAP recipients to purchase fresh produce at participating farmers markets and grocery stores across Iowa. Starting January 1, 2026, the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services must submit annual reports to the legislature detailing program participation, locations, and redemption rates. The funding does not expire at year-end but remains available for the program's continued operation.

Maddy summaryThis concurrent resolution (HCR 7) urges the U.S. President and Congress to support efforts granting citizenship to internationally adopted children who were over 18 when the 2000 Child Citizenship Act took effect. It specifically targets adoptees born abroad who were excluded from automatic citizenship under that law, despite being raised in the U.S. by American citizens. The resolution calls for passage of the Adoptee Citizenship Act, which would provide citizenship to these individuals, removing barriers they face in accessing banking, voting, education, and other services. It does not create new law but expresses Iowa's support for federal action to resolve this citizenship gap.

Maddy summaryHF 821 requires Iowa's Department of Administrative Services (DAS) to create an online contractor performance assessment system. This system will allow government agencies to evaluate contractors, architects, and engineers who work on public projects in Iowa. It uses specific metrics like whether work was completed on time, if costs stayed within budget, and the history of change orders to assign performance grades. Government agencies can then use this system to determine if a contractor is "responsible" when awarding future contracts. The bill directly affects contractors working on state public projects and the agencies that hire them.

Maddy summaryHF 612 regulates kratom sales in Iowa by requiring sellers (processors, retailers, and food service establishments) to register annually with the Department of Health and Human Services. It mandates lab testing for safety, limits 7-hydroxymitragynine content to under 2%, bans child-attractive packaging, and prohibits dangerous additives like synthetic drugs. All kratom products must carry specific labels warning against use by those under 21, pregnant/breastfeeding individuals, and including FDA disclaimers. The bill also requires clear labeling of ingredients, serving sizes, and safety instructions for consumers.

Maddy summaryThis resolution honors Archie and Nancy Martin for their historical support of Black students at Iowa State University. It recognizes their role in addressing housing discrimination by hosting students at their Ames home (the Martin House, now a historic landmark) and advocating with university leadership. The resolution also references existing honors, including Martin Hall (named in 2004) and scholarships established in 2008 to support students of color. As a symbolic gesture, it does not create new laws or policies but formally acknowledges the Martin family’s contributions to educational equity.

Maddy summaryHF 487 modifies Iowa's drug paraphernalia laws to exempt specific harm reduction tools from criminal penalties. It explicitly excludes fentanyl/xylazine test strips, drug-checking equipment, and materials used by authorized harm reduction organizations (like public health departments) from the definition of "drug paraphernalia." The bill protects individuals from arrest, housing loss, or other penalties when using these tools for testing substances, and prohibits using drug-checking results as evidence in court. It also permits state opioid settlement funds to support these activities, directly affecting people who use substance-checking services and harm reduction programs.

Maddy summaryThis Iowa bill (HF 590) prohibits drug manufacturers and distributors from interfering with safety-net hospitals, clinics, and other covered entities acquiring or receiving 340B discounted drugs. It specifically bans manufacturers or distributors from denying, restricting, or hindering these transactions - except when federal health officials prohibit them. The law defines key terms like "340B drug," "distributor," and "manufacturer" based on federal Social Security Act standards. It directly affects drug companies and wholesalers operating in Iowa by requiring compliance with federal 340B program rules. The bill was introduced in February 2025 and remains pending.

Maddy summaryHF 208 allocates $35 million in tax incentives for workforce housing projects, to be applied against individual and corporate income taxes, franchise tax, insurance premiums tax, and moneys and credits tax. It reserves $17.5 million specifically for housing projects in small cities (as defined in Iowa law) registered after July 1, 2017. The remaining funds may allocate up to one-third to projects in Iowa's two most populous counties, but only for projects registered after July 1, 2025. This bill directly affects developers and builders of workforce housing projects seeking tax credits under these specific allocation rules.