Sen. Kevin Alons

Maddy summarySF 239 requires applicants for hazardous liquid pipeline permits in Iowa to provide evidence of sufficient insurance or surety before a permit is granted. This insurance must cover damages from pipeline discharges (negligent or intentional), property damage from construction or discharges, and increased insurance costs or inability to obtain insurance for nearby residents. Pipeline owners must either purchase insurance for affected residents or reimburse them for higher premiums caused by the pipeline. The bill directly affects pipeline companies seeking permits and property owners near proposed pipeline routes. It establishes concrete insurance requirements to address financial risks tied to pipeline construction and operation.

Maddy summaryThis bill (SF 228) changes how the Iowa Utilities Commission can impose sanctions on intervenors - third parties like consumer groups or businesses participating in utility rate cases. It requires the commission to find two specific conditions before threatening or imposing sanctions: (1) the intervenor was knowingly dishonest or violated a criminal statute, and (2) the intervenor caused quantifiable injury exceeding $500 to the commission. The bill directly affects intervenors in contested utility cases by limiting sanctions to only the most severe misconduct with clear financial harm. It does not create new sanctions but sets strict procedural barriers for their use.

Maddy summarySF 229 reorganizes the Office of the Consumer Advocate within Iowa's Department of Justice. It requires the attorney general to appoint the advocate from a list provided by a committee (secretary of agriculture, auditor, treasurer), with Senate confirmation every four years, and mandates regular reporting to that committee. The bill establishes the office as a separate division, specifies its funding through charges to utility proceedings (as detailed in Sections 476.10 and 476.10B), and ensures fiscal self-sufficiency by requiring the advocate's expenses to be covered by these assessments. This directly affects the advocate's appointment process, operational structure, and funding mechanism within utility regulation.

Maddy summarySF 115 requires Iowa school districts to obtain written parental consent before enrolling students in human growth and development courses or facilitating attendance at related educational conferences. It mandates that school boards annually provide parents with specific information about such courses, materials, and conferences. The bill prohibits schools from requiring student participation in these programs without a parent's written request for excusal. School districts must cover the costs of compliance using existing state school foundation aid, as specified in the bill.

Maddy summaryThis bill prohibits exposing minors to "obscene performances," defined as visual acts showing sexual content (like exposed body parts or extreme sexual acts) that minors shouldn't view, lacking artistic value and appealing to prurient interest under community standards. It criminalizes knowingly exposing minors to such performances (aggravated misdemeanor) or admitting minors to venues showing them (serious misdemeanor for those under 18, aggravated misdemeanor for children under 14). Parents, guardians, or affected minors (after turning 18) can now sue for at least $10,000 in damages, plus other remedies like injunctions, with a 2-year filing window for parents or up to 10 years after turning 18 for former minors. The bill also bans public institutions and funds from supporting such performances.

Maddy summarySF 118 amends Iowa law to clarify and limit emergency powers during declared disasters, affecting governors, the legislature, and healthcare providers. It requires written disaster proclamations detailing the emergency, limits initial declarations to 30 days (with 60-day extensions possible), and mandates legislative approval for extensions beyond the initial period. The bill explicitly prohibits emergency measures that infringe on constitutional rights without strict justification, ban digital surveillance without consent, prevent restrictions on healthcare professionals' licensed scope, and block mandatory disease monitoring that violates freedom of association. These provisions aim to balance emergency response with protections for individual rights during public health crises.

Maddy summarySF 143 strengthens Iowa's consumer data protection laws by granting individuals new rights regarding automated data processing. It defines "profiling" as automated analysis of personal data to predict factors like health or behavior, requiring businesses to notify consumers and allow opt-outs for decisions affecting housing, employment, health care, or financial services. The bill expands "health data" protections and clarifies exemptions for entities already regulated under federal laws like HIPAA and the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act. It applies retroactively to January 1, 2025, affecting businesses handling consumer data in Iowa.

Maddy summarySF 112 would establish a new Iowa transactional currency backed by physical gold and silver stored in a state-approved depository. Individuals or other states could purchase the currency by paying for the equivalent amount of gold or silver (with fees), with each unit representing a specific fractional troy ounce of metal. Holders could redeem the currency for U.S. dollars (by selling the metal) or for physical gold/silver (by receiving the metal from the depository), and the treasurer of state would set security and fraud prevention rules. The bill directly affects currency buyers, the treasurer’s office, and approved depositories, but does not change existing state or federal currency laws.

Maddy summarySF 136 establishes new safety rules and requirements for hazardous liquid pipeline projects in Iowa. It allows counties to set stricter setback and safety standards than state or federal law, requires pipeline companies to disclose safety studies when applying for permits, and mandates they negotiate voluntary easements with landowners before seeking eminent domain rights (especially for liquefied CO2 pipelines). The bill also updates compensation rules for landowners, ensuring payment for crop damage and soil erosion caused by pipeline construction. Additionally, it requires pipeline companies to obtain all necessary local and state permits before construction and sets specific safety conditions for liquefied CO2 pipelines, including minimum burial depth.

Maddy summarySF 92 amends Iowa law to require landowner consent before utilities can use eminent domain to condemn agricultural land for constructing hazardous liquid pipelines carrying liquefied carbon dioxide. The bill explicitly excludes such pipelines from being classified as a "public use" or "public purpose" for condemnation purposes, reversing a current exception that allowed utilities to bypass consent for similar projects. This directly affects Iowa agricultural landowners, who must now approve pipeline construction on their property. The law takes effect immediately upon enactment and applies to condemnation cases filed after that date.