Sen. Adrian Dickey

Maddy summaryThis bill requires utility cooperatives in Iowa to provide members with specific financial records upon request. It directly affects members of nonprofit and standard utility cooperatives (like electric or water co-ops owned by their customers), mandating that they receive the association's most recent biennial report, budget, and balance sheet. Cooperatives must deliver these documents within 30 days of a reasonable member request. The bill does not change utility rates or services but ensures transparency in how cooperatives manage member-owned finances.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires all passengers and operators on personal watercraft (small vessels under 16 feet propelled by water jet pumps) to wear a Coast Guard-approved life jacket while the craft is moving. It exempts individuals aged 18 or older if the watercraft is traveling at 10 mph or slower or in a no-wake zone. Currently, Iowa law already mandates life jackets for personal watercraft, but this bill clarifies the requirement and specifies the approved device types. Violating this rule would result in a $30 fine for a simple misdemeanor.

Maddy summaryThis bill (SF 374, now renumbered as SF 521) requires courts to order individuals found in contempt for disobeying divorce-related court orders to pay the other party's reasonable attorney fees. It directly affects people who willfully violate temporary or final orders in divorce cases, such as ignoring child custody arrangements or financial obligations. The key provision lets courts direct the contemptuous party to cover the legal costs incurred by the other spouse due to that disobedience. The bill does not change existing rules about attorney fees in divorce proceedings but adds this specific remedy for contempt.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires Iowa courts to award costs and reasonable attorney fees to the winning party in most civil lawsuits, shifting the financial burden from the prevailing party to the losing side. It directly affects private individuals and businesses involved in civil disputes, but excludes cases involving the state, government entities, or public officials acting in their official capacity. The bill defines a "prevailing party" as one with a net monetary recovery, a defendant in a dismissed case, or a defendant where neither side wins, with courts determining status in other scenarios. It takes effect for cases filed on or after July 1, 2025, and directs the Supreme Court to propose code amendments to resolve any ambiguities caused by the law.

Maddy summarySF 321 prohibits Iowa public school districts, charter schools, and nonpublic schools using state funds from paying dues or participating with high school athletic organizations that don’t classify schools based on enrollment for sports competitions. Organizations must use actual enrollment numbers (with a 1.5 multiplier for nonpublic schools using education savings accounts, but not moving schools more than one classification up) to determine competition divisions. The rule takes effect January 1, 2027, though organizations could begin using the system for the 2025-2026 school year. The bill excludes eight-person football from this requirement.

Maddy summarySF 291 makes it a serious misdemeanor to file, bring, defend, or assert a civil lawsuit in bad faith or without a reasonable legal or factual basis. This applies directly to individuals and their lawyers who use the court system to file claims they know are baseless. The bill imposes penalties of up to one year in jail or fines between $430 and $2,560 for such actions. The law aims to deter abusive lawsuits that waste court resources and harm innocent parties.

Maddy summarySF 349 requires Iowa courts to strictly enforce discovery deadlines in civil cases. It prohibits courts from extending or waiving deadlines under Iowa rules 1.500-1.517 unless all parties agree in writing. If a party misses a deadline, the court must impose a civil penalty (considering severity and prior violations) and award reasonable attorney fees to the other side for costs related to filing a motion to compel. This applies directly to all parties involved in civil lawsuits and adds these penalties to any other remedies available under Iowa law.

Maddy summarySJR 6 is a constitutional amendment proposing to repeal Iowa’s natural resources and outdoor recreation trust fund (which funded parks, trails, and conservation) and replace it with a new property tax relief trust fund. The amendment would dedicate a portion of increased sales and use tax revenue (capped at 0.375% of taxable sales) to lower school district property tax levies uniformly across the state. This fund would replace revenue previously generated from the foundation property tax levy, directly reducing property taxes for homeowners and businesses that fund public schools. As a constitutional amendment, it requires voter approval after legislative passage.

Maddy summaryThis bill restricts Iowa's Department of Transportation (DOT) from sharing personal driver information (like name, address, or phone number) with out-of-state individuals or agencies, except in specific cases. It prohibits releasing such data to prevent out-of-state enforcement of traffic violations (e.g., fines or penalties), unless a court orders it or the driver provides written consent. Exceptions allow law enforcement, licensed investigators, or state agencies within Iowa to access the data for official duties. Violating this law is a misdemeanor punishable by up to 30 days in jail and a $105-$855 fine. The bill directly affects Iowa drivers whose data could be misused by out-of-state entities and the DOT's data-sharing practices.

Maddy summarySF 53 prohibits third-party litigation financing contracts in Iowa, which are agreements where a funder provides legal case funding in exchange for a share of any settlement or judgment. The bill makes these contracts void and unenforceable for consumers, attorneys, or law firms in civil cases, but does not affect standard contingency fee arrangements where attorneys directly represent clients under Iowa professional rules. It takes immediate effect upon enactment and applies to all such contracts entered after that date. The bill specifically excludes contingency fees, legal cost advancements by attorneys, and certain commercial tort or workers' compensation claims from the prohibition.