Rep. Taylor Collins

Maddy summaryHF 2042 requires Iowa's Department of Management to study merging the Department of Natural Resources and the Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship. The study must examine overlapping programs, potential cost savings, service impacts, and integration methods like staffing and equipment. The Department of Management must submit findings and recommendations to the governor and legislature by December 31, 2026. This bill does not create a merger but sets up a review process for potential future action.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires individuals on felony probation or parole who are arrested for new felony charges to have an initial court appearance before a magistrate prior to being released under pretrial guidelines or bond schedules. It directly affects people under supervision by Iowa's district department of correctional services who face new felony charges while on probation or parole. The key provision amends Iowa law to mandate this court appearance within 24 hours (or the next business day) after release, overriding current exceptions that allowed such individuals to be released without immediate court review. The bill does not change pretrial release guidelines but ensures judicial oversight for this specific group before they are released.

Maddy summaryHF 2066 changes the terms of service for members of certain Iowa statewide boards. It shortens the service term from six years to four years for members appointed by the governor on or after July 1, 2026. Current members appointed before June 30, 2026, will continue to serve six-year terms. The bill affects boards including the Iowa finance authority, agricultural development board, voting systems examiners, retirement system investment board, state board of education, and state board of regents.

Maddy summaryHF 2139 amends Iowa law to address fleeing police across state lines. It defines "aggravated eluding" as knowingly crossing into another state while being pursued without yielding to police, making it a class D felony punishable by up to five years in prison and fines up to $10,245. The bill also allows Iowa officers to continue pursuing and arresting drivers in other states during "fresh pursuit" (defined as pursuit without unreasonable delay), requiring them to report the arrest to that state's authorities and subjecting the driver to extradition. This directly affects drivers fleeing police across state borders and Iowa law enforcement officers conducting interstate pursuits.

Maddy summaryThis bill changes retirement benefits for retired law enforcement officers rehired as school resource officers in Iowa. It allows these retired members of the Iowa Public Employees' Retirement System (IPERS) or municipal fire/police retirement systems to continue receiving their full retirement allowance during reemployment without the usual 50-cent-per-dollar earnings reduction that applies to other retirees working over $50,000. The bill also clarifies that their reemployment as school resource officers does not count toward future retirement benefits under the systems. Retirees must elect to opt out of retirement coverage within 60 days of reemployment, but this election is final.

Maddy summaryHF 2051 adds "school and career specialists" to the list of positions school districts can share with other entities (like other districts or political subdivisions) to qualify for extra state funding. It directly affects Iowa school districts that share these specialists for at least 20% of the school year. The key provision assigns each shared school and career specialist role a supplementary weighting equivalent to funding for two additional students, increasing resources for districts that collaborate on these services. This policy targets specialists who support at-risk students with career planning, life skills, and postsecondary transitions.

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 2041 requires all Iowa law enforcement agencies and officers to cooperate with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and other federal immigration agencies when requested. The bill mandates that if a law enforcement agency holds someone subject to an ICE detainer request, it must fully comply with the instructions in that request. This directly affects Iowa police departments, sheriffs' offices, and jail staff who would need to follow federal immigration detainer procedures. The key provision is the mandatory compliance with federal immigration detainer requests, shifting responsibility for processing such requests to state law enforcement. The bill does not create new penalties but requires state agencies to act on federal immigration requests.

Maddy summaryHF 2155 modifies parole eligibility for specific criminal convictions in Iowa. It requires offenders convicted of certain offenses - including forcible felonies involving dangerous weapons, habitual offender cases, methamphetamine crimes involving minors, child endangerment, and repeat domestic abuse assaults - to serve at least half their sentence before becoming eligible for parole. The bill replaces previous fixed minimum terms (like 5 years or 10 years) with a requirement to serve one-half of the total sentence. These changes directly affect individuals convicted under the specified offenses, altering when they may qualify for parole or work release. The bill does not change the total sentence length but adjusts the portion that must be served before parole consideration.

Maddy summaryHF 2050 requires Iowa school districts to adopt policies allowing teachers to immediately remove students who disrupt classes, threaten safety, or violate school rules. After a third removal, teachers and principals must discuss behavior patterns and hold a conference with the student (and parent/guardian if applicable) before the student returns to class. The bill also protects teachers from retaliation by administrators for following these discipline policies. It takes effect on December 31, 2026, and directly affects students, teachers, and school administrators in Iowa public schools.