Rep. Dan Gosa

Maddy summaryHF 2381 requires all Iowa public school districts, accredited nonpublic schools, charter schools, and innovation zone schools to grant coaches with authorization a paid leave of absence for professional development. The bill mandates that schools provide at least two days of leave per school year for coaches to attend training programs or conferences, without any loss of seniority, pay, benefits (including health insurance), vacation time, or other employment protections. This directly affects school employees holding coaching authorizations who need to participate in required professional training. The law ensures coaches can attend development opportunities without financial or career penalties, aligning with existing leave requirements for school districts.

Maddy summaryHF 2341 creates a partial property tax exemption for residential properties sold by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) in areas declared major disaster zones by the president or state disaster emergencies by the governor. It applies specifically to properties sold to owners already receiving Iowa's homestead tax credit, providing a phased tax reduction over four years: 80% exemption in the first assessment year, 60% in the second, 40% in the third, and 20% in the fourth. The exemption expires after the fourth year, meaning homeowners pay full property tax starting in the fifth year. This bill directly affects HUD-sold homeowners in disaster-affected areas who qualify for the homestead tax credit.

Maddy summaryHF 2317, nicknamed the "Stop Squatters Act," creates a new process for property owners to remove unauthorized occupants without court involvement. It allows owners or their agents to submit a complaint to police (in cities) or sheriffs (outside cities) if the occupant was notified they couldn’t be there, isn’t a tenant or family member, and no legal dispute exists. Law enforcement must investigate and order the occupant to leave immediately, with the occupant liable for an hourly fee for the service. The bill also adds criminal penalties: trespassing after being told to leave with $1,000 or less in property damage is a simple misdemeanor (up to 30 days jail, $855 fine), while over $1,000 in damage is a serious misdemeanor (up to 1 year jail, $2,560 fine).

Maddy summaryHF 2342 sets specific future dates for repealing various Iowa tax credit programs. The bill specifies that existing tax credits (like those for renewable chemicals, sustainable aviation fuel, and job creation) will end between 2028 and 2041, with most repeals occurring by 2032. It directly affects taxpayers and businesses currently claiming or planning to claim these credits, as they will no longer be available after the designated dates. The bill includes a key exception preserving credits issued or earned before January 1, 2032, ensuring existing agreements and carryforwards remain valid.

Maddy summaryHF 2206 reclassifies marijuana offenses in Iowa, reducing penalties for possession while maintaining criminal penalties for larger quantities. It establishes specific penalties based on amount: possession of 4 ounces or less is now a simple misdemeanor (or a $100 civil penalty for under 1/2 ounce, with community service for minors), while amounts over 12 ounces become serious misdemeanors and over 2 kilograms are felonies. The bill also adds enhanced penalties for distributing marijuana near schools or parks. It directly affects anyone possessing or distributing marijuana in Iowa, with key changes found in sections 124F.2 and 124.401G. The bill does not legalize marijuana but modifies how possession is punished.

Maddy summaryHF 2109 redirects 7% of criminal case fines collected within a county to a new victim restitution fund, instead of allocating it to county general funds. The bill establishes this fund in the state treasury, with funds administered by the Department of Justice to cover financial damages victims incur from crimes (like medical costs or lost wages), as defined by existing law. It changes the current 91% to state court administrator and 9% to county funds to an 85% to state, 8% to county, and 7% to the victim fund. Unspent funds in the victim restitution account will carry over annually instead of reverting. This directly affects victims of crime who receive restitution payments and alters how criminal fines are distributed.

Maddy summaryHF 2160 allows Iowa political candidates and their committees to use campaign funds for reasonable personal and home security expenses, including costs for firearms, equipment, and training. Candidates must maintain detailed logs of each expense (date, provider, cost) and include total security costs in campaign finance reports, preserving these records for five years. Violations of this rule could result in civil penalties up to $2,000 or criminal charges for willful breaches. The bill directly affects candidates and their committees managing campaign finances in Iowa.

Maddy summaryHF 2156 modifies Iowa's unemployment insurance rules for educational staff employed between academic terms. It removes the current provision that allowed workers to receive retroactive benefits if they had "reasonable assurance" of returning to the same role but were not rehired. Under this bill, individuals performing services for an educational institution before a vacation or holiday break are ineligible for unemployment benefits during that break, even if they had assurance of continued work afterward. This change directly affects non-instructional, non-research, and non-principal administrative staff at schools who might otherwise qualify for benefits during academic transitions. The bill does not create new funding requirements, as school districts will cover costs using existing state foundation aid.

Maddy summaryThis bill allocates $5 million from Iowa's general fund to the Department of Education for the 2026-2027 fiscal year to establish a therapeutic classroom incentive grant program. It directly provides funding to school districts to create therapeutic classrooms for students aged 3 to 21 whose emotional, social, or behavioral needs interfere with their success in regular school settings. The program enables school districts to receive grants to set up specialized classrooms designed to support these students' learning and development. The funding is specifically designated for this purpose and cannot be used for other educational programs.

Maddy summaryHF 2142 limits Medicaid claim reviews by restricting post-payment reviews to claims paid within the last 12 months, unless fraud or misrepresentation is involved. It prohibits providers from being required to repay overpayments identified more than 12 months after claim payment or having those amounts offset against future reimbursements. The bill allows providers to resubmit claims identified as improper through reviews as claims adjustments. It does not apply to retroactive cost settlements or rate changes based on Medicaid/Medicare cost reports, directly affecting Medicaid providers like hospitals and clinics.