Sen. Tony Bisignano

Maddy summaryThis bill requires Iowa county treasurers to accept partial payments for property taxes as an alternative to annual or semiannual payments, rather than having the option to do so. It specifies that partial payments must be applied to each semiannual tax installment before due dates, with unpaid balances accruing interest and remaining balances carried forward. Taxpayers must request this option, and any interest earned on partial payments funds county administrative costs. The change applies to property taxes due in fiscal years starting July 1, 2026.

Maddy summarySF 2350 regulates Iowa law enforcement's use of automatic license plate readers (LPRs). It requires officers to obtain a warrant before searching LPR data, reduces data retention from 30 to 7 days, mandates detailed usage logs, and prohibits sharing LPR data with third parties without a warrant. The bill also creates public transparency portals showing what plates are scanned, how many searches occur, and retention statistics. Violating these rules constitutes a simple misdemeanor punishable by up to 30 days in jail or a $855 fine.

Maddy summaryThis bill (SF 2241) sets new requirements for Iowa charter schools, directly affecting charter schools and their relationships with school districts. Key provisions include limiting charter schools to one per 10,000 students statewide per grade level (elementary/middle/high), mandating that governing boards include at least 50% parents of enrolled students and a school district representative, and requiring detailed annual reports on student enrollment, withdrawals, finances (including management fees), and academic performance. Charter schools must also comply with public fund restrictions and assessment reporting similar to traditional public schools. The state board of education will develop oversight standards to monitor academic, financial, and operational performance, with enhanced monitoring for underperforming schools.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes rules for residents or their representatives to use video monitoring devices in nursing facility rooms. It requires written consent from the resident (or their representative if the resident lacks capacity) before placing any device, and mandates that facilities obtain written consent from all roommates in shared rooms before monitoring begins. If a roommate refuses consent, the facility must try to move the resident to a private room (at the resident's cost) or another shared room without requiring monitoring. The law also specifies standard conditions for monitoring and allows residents to withdraw consent anytime. It directly affects nursing home residents, their representatives, and facilities managing resident rooms.

Maddy summaryThis resolution honors the Animal Rescue League of Iowa for its 100 years of service since 1926, recognizing it as Iowa's largest nonprofit animal shelter. It specifically acknowledges their work caring for over 13,000 animals annually, returning 1,776 pets to owners in 2025, and providing programs like low-cost veterinary services and pet food pantries. The resolution is purely ceremonial and does not create new laws, policies, or funding changes. It formally recognizes the organization's role in supporting animal welfare and community partnerships across Iowa.

Maddy summaryThis bill prohibits Iowa's Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing (DIAL) from approving ownership transfers of licensed nursing facilities to specific entities. It directly affects nursing facilities seeking new owners who are private equity funds, majority-owned by such funds, affiliates of private equity funds, real estate investment trusts (REITs), majority-owned by REITs, or REIT affiliates. The key mechanism requires DIAL to deny any ownership change request if the buyer fits one of these defined categories. The bill aims to prevent ownership shifts to these investment structures, though it does not ban all ownership changes. (3 sentences)

Maddy summarySF 2245 requires Iowa governmental subdivisions (like cities, counties, school districts, and hospitals) to cooperate with the state auditor when suspected embezzlement, theft, or major financial irregularities involving public funds are reported. It mandates that the subdivision reimburse the state auditor for investigation costs, but only up to the amount of misused public funds as determined by the auditor. The bill establishes a clear process where the auditor decides whether to conduct further investigations after initial notification. This directly affects local government entities handling public funds by creating a defined reimbursement mechanism for financial misconduct probes.

Maddy summarySF 2272 requires Iowa employers with 50+ full-time employees to display a veterans' benefits poster in the workplace. The poster, created by the Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing in coordination with the Department of Veterans Affairs, must include key resources like mental health services, education/training programs, tax benefits, driver’s license assistance, unemployment insurance eligibility, and legal services. Employers must display the poster prominently where employees can easily see it. This bill directly affects businesses meeting the 50-employee threshold and aims to make veterans' support resources more accessible.

Maddy summarySF 2267 requires Iowa's Department of Natural Resources and the Division of Soil Conservation and Water Quality (within the Department of Agriculture) to publish online, regularly updated reports tracking progress on state-funded clean water projects. These reports must include water quality data collected before, during, and after projects, specifically for initiatives monitoring surface water to establish benchmarks for goals like reducing pollutants or runoff. The bill applies to any state-funded program measuring nutrient levels, stormwater, or runoff, making the data publicly accessible via a joint agency website. This focuses on transparency for projects already authorized under existing water quality laws, without creating new programs or mandates.

Maddy summarySF 2239 establishes Iowa's first state-run paid family and medical leave insurance program. It requires private employers with 10+ employees and all public employers to provide eligible workers with up to 12 weeks of paid leave for family reasons (like bonding with a newborn or caring for a sick family member) and up to 12 weeks for medical reasons (an employee's own serious health condition). To qualify, employees must have worked 1,250 hours over the past 12 months for their employer. The program, administered by the Iowa Department of Workforce Development, allows a combined maximum of 16 weeks of paid leave for both family and medical needs within any 12-month period.