Rep. Craig Johnson

Maddy summaryHF 88 modifies Iowa's education laws to clarify requirements for private instruction, world language teaching, and tuition tax credits. It requires parents of privately instructed children to submit detailed course outlines, immunization records, and blood lead test results by September 1 each year. The bill defines "independent private instruction" as non-accredited programs with ≤4 unrelated students, no tuition, and religious focus, while ensuring diplomas from such programs are treated equally to public school diplomas. It also prohibits altering grammatical gender in world language instruction (e.g., Spanish/French) and provides a 25.5% tax credit for tuition paid for kindergarten through grade 12. These changes apply immediately upon enactment.

Maddy summaryHF 140 allows licensed alcohol manufacturers (not retailers) to ship alcohol directly to Iowa residents who are 21 or older, subject to specific limits. Manufacturers must obtain a new "alcoholic liquor direct shipper license," ship only to personal-use consumers (with quantity caps based on their production volume), and include required labeling. The bill also requires manufacturers to pay the state 50% of the wholesale price for shipped alcohol and register products with the department. This applies only to manufacturers who produce or import limited volumes of alcohol, and it does not permit retailers to ship directly to consumers.

Maddy summaryHF 563 requires Iowa county and city assessors to use standardized metrics developed by the International Association of Assessing Officers (IAAO) to ensure equitable property valuations. Specifically, it mandates that assessments maintain a coefficient of dispersion (COD) below 15.99% and a price-related differential (PRD) between 0.98 and 1.03 for each property class, unless justified by "good cause." The bill also defines "like property" as all property within the same class for appeal purposes and limits the use of special counsel in assessment litigation to cases involving business entities. These changes directly affect local assessors, property owners appealing valuations, and taxing districts handling assessment disputes.

Maddy summaryHF 326 establishes a pilot program in Iowa to provide hyperbaric oxygen treatment (for diabetic foot ulcers, traumatic brain injury, or PTSD) to eligible veterans through a dedicated reimbursement fund. It directly affects veterans diagnosed with PTSD or traumatic brain injury who require this treatment, as well as authorized treatment facilities. The bill creates a Veterans Recovery Fund to reimburse facilities for treatment costs and related travel/living expenses after a treatment plan is approved by the Department of Veterans Affairs. Facilities must submit proposed treatment plans for approval before providing care, and veterans cannot be charged for services under the program. The program requires biennial reports to the legislature evaluating participation and effectiveness.

Maddy summaryHF 453 defines an "unborn child" as a human organism from fertilization to fetal death or live birth. It expands wrongful death damages (under Code 633.336) to include unborn children, applies homicide and assault criminal laws (via new sections 707.1A and 708.1A) to unborn children as legal victims, and ensures these cases receive the same legal protections as cases involving born individuals. The bill explicitly excludes life-saving medical procedures for the pregnant person and natural miscarriages from its application. It takes effect immediately upon enactment.

Maddy summaryThis resolution (HR 3) is a symbolic statement by Iowa's House of Representatives affirming the state's support for Israel. It does not create new laws or directly affect individuals or entities; instead, it expresses solidarity through shared values, condemns antisemitism and terrorism, and encourages cultural and economic collaboration between Iowa and Israel. The resolution highlights Iowa's partnership with Israel's Western Galilee region, economic ties in agriculture and technology, and support for Israel's sovereignty following the October 7 attacks. It was adopted unanimously (76-10) on February 13, 2025, with no binding policy changes.

Maddy summaryHF 90 modifies continuing education requirements for licensed professionals in Iowa. It requires that all continuing education credits must directly relate to the licensed profession, prohibiting boards from imposing unrelated requirements. The bill also exempts licensed practitioners with at least ten years of experience and a master’s or doctoral degree from renewal requirements (unless they hold an evaluator endorsement needing ten-year renewal). Additionally, it mandates the Iowa Supreme Court to update attorney continuing education rules to ensure they only include practice-related requirements.

Maddy summaryHF 106 amends Iowa law to allow parents to pursue wrongful death claims if an unborn child dies due to another party's negligence or misconduct. The bill expands the definition of "person" in wrongful death statutes to include an unborn child, defined as a human embryo or fetus from fertilization until birth. This change enables legal claims to survive the death of an unborn child, meaning parents could seek compensation for the loss as they could for a born child. The policy directly affects families who experience the death of an unborn child due to accidents or negligence, providing a legal pathway for compensation under existing wrongful death laws.