Rep. Matt Rinker

Maddy summaryHF 692 allows Iowa disabled veterans who served on active duty and were disabled during service (verified by the Iowa Department of Veterans Affairs) to use standard deer hunting licenses during any season where the hunting method matches their license. It directly affects eligible disabled veterans by granting them equal access to regular deer hunting opportunities without needing special permits. The bill requires veterans to show proof of residency and disability status to peace officers upon request, and failure to do so results in a $30 fine for a simple misdemeanor. This policy change simplifies access to hunting privileges while maintaining standard verification procedures.

Maddy summaryHF 292 would expand eligibility for Iowa's "veteran" special vehicle registration plates to include any Iowan who served in the U.S. armed forces, reserve forces, or Iowa National Guard and was honorably discharged, regardless of service length. Currently, some reserve/National Guard members need 20+ years of service or specific activation periods to qualify. The bill modifies Iowa Code to remove these duration requirements while specifying that fees from these plates fund veterans' programs. The bill was withdrawn on March 21, 2025, and is no longer active.

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 summaryHF 469 expands benefits for Iowa veterans across multiple state services. It requires state agencies to give veterans preference for state grants and public assistance programs like food assistance and housing vouchers. The bill's key provision creates automatic fee waivers for veterans-owned businesses (including LLCs, corporations, and partnerships) when filing specific documents with the Secretary of State, eliminating associated fees for eligible veterans. It also extends benefits like tuition exemptions, tax credits, and priority in civil litigation, with penalties for noncompliance. The bill affects all Iowa veterans and veterans-owned businesses filing designated documents.

Maddy summaryHF 810 modifies Iowa's funding formula for school districts with high open enrollment (over 45% of students enrolled through open enrollment). It removes the "teacher salary supplement" from the calculation for supplemental aid, expands eligibility beyond the 2024 budget year, and requires school boards to hold public hearings before requesting aid. The bill also limits property tax increases for districts receiving aid after 2025, capping the next year's tax rate at the level of the aid year. It applies to school budget years starting July 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryHF 815 requires Iowa's Medicaid program to automatically increase reimbursement rates for healthcare providers by 2.5% each July 1, regardless of other inflation adjustments. This applies to all providers enrolled in Medicaid as of July 1 of the prior year, directly affecting hospitals, clinics, and other medical service providers who bill Medicaid. The bill overrides existing laws about inflation indexing, mandating this specific percentage increase annually without additional legislative action. It ensures providers receive predictable, annual payment adjustments tied solely to this fixed rate.

Maddy summaryHF 808 requires Iowa managed care organizations (MCOs) administering the state's medical assistance program to issue chargebacks to healthcare providers within 12 months of reimbursing them. It also mandates that MCOs negotiate fixed fees with third-party auditors before audits begin, prohibiting MCOs from paying auditors based on the percentage of chargebacks identified. These provisions directly affect MCOs contracted with Iowa's Department of Health and Human Services and the healthcare providers they reimburse. The bill aims to prevent delays in billing disputes and ensure auditor compensation is not tied to identifying more chargebacks.

Maddy summaryHF 809 repeals Iowa's beverage container deposit program, commonly known as the "bottle bill." The bill removes the requirement for a 5-cent deposit on beverage containers sold for off-premises consumption, ending the system where consumers paid a deposit at purchase and received a refund when returning containers. Businesses like retailers, distributors, and redemption centers will no longer handle deposits or refunds, and unclaimed refund values will be transferred to distributors or the state general fund. The repeal takes effect immediately for the deposit program (Division I) and six months later for related redemption provisions (Division II).

Maddy summaryHF 457 extends the period before a driver's license revocation takes effect following an operating-while-intoxicated (OWI) violation or refusal to take a chemical test, changing it from 10 to 20 days after notice is mailed by the Department of Transportation. It also extends the validity of temporary licenses issued by peace officers during immediate revocation notices from 10 to 20 days. The bill directly affects drivers convicted of OWI or who refused testing, altering the timeline for license revocation and temporary license duration. This change applies only to the effective date of revocation and temporary license validity, leaving other timelines (like hearing requests) unchanged. The policy modifies existing administrative procedures without changing OWI offense definitions or penalties.

Maddy summaryHF 466 sets rules for contracts between publishers and Iowa libraries for digital books and audiobooks (e.g., ebooks, digital audiobooks). It prohibits publishers from restricting libraries’ standard lending practices, such as limiting loan duration, frequency, interlibrary loans, or the ability to make preservation copies. The bill allows publishers to set limits on simultaneous borrower access or require technical protections to prevent extended use beyond loan periods. Libraries must be able to share contract terms with other Iowa libraries, and contracts cannot force libraries to violate other laws. The Iowa Attorney General can enforce these rules and impose civil penalties up to $100,000 per violation for noncompliant publishers.