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HF 144 Iowa House · 2025-2026 Regular Session

A bill for an act concerning the licensing and regulation of gambling games, including a moratorium on the issuance of new licenses, and including effective date and retroactive applicability provisions.

HF 144 imposes a 5-year moratorium (2025-2030) on new gambling licenses for excursion boats, gambling structures, and racetracks, capping total licenses at 19. It restricts new licenses to counties with existing licensed operations as of January 1, 2025, and requires the commission to issue a socioeconomic study on gambling impacts before granting new licenses after 2030. The bill also prohibits new licenses if they would reduce existing operators' revenue by over 10% or harm community services. Effective retroactively from January 1, 2025, the law aims to limit expansion while requiring data-driven decisions about future gambling market conditions.
Bill status passed 3 of 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Jan 2025
Committee Review
Feb 2025
House Passage
Jan 2025
Senate Passage
Governor
Introduced Jan 27, 2025 Last action Feb 4, 2025
Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

Introduced → Reprinted · 5 edits
MODERATE
The bill was reprinted from its original introduced version with significant formatting improvements and the addition of new substantive provisions. The reprinted version includes an effective date clause, retroactive applicability, and additional sections that were not present in the original introduced draft. These changes clarify when the law takes effect and ensure it applies retroactively to January 1, 2025.
Scope change
The bill's scope was expanded by adding an effective date and retroactive applicability provision, ensuring the law applies from January 1, 2025, even though it was introduced later. The substantive policy content regarding gambling licensing remains consistent between versions.
TIMELINE

Added Section 5 establishing that the Act takes effect immediately upon enactment due to its immediate importance.

Added Section 6 making the Act retroactively applicable to January 1, 2025, ensuring all provisions apply from that date forward.

TECHNICAL

Removed the original Section 6 regarding Internet Gaming Review, which was replaced by the new effective date and retroactivity sections in the reprinted version.

Improved formatting and removed line-by-line markup indicators, converting the document to a clean, readable legislative format.

Added header information indicating the bill was amended and passed by the House on January 30, 2025, and includes page numbers and tracking identifiers.

Floor votes · House Jan 30, 2025

How they voted

69–31
Passed · 1 other
Total votes 101
Jan 30, 2025
D Democratic33
15 Yea 17 Nay 1
51% Nay
R Republican68
54 Yea 14 Nay
79% Yea
Vote distribution
All Yea All Nay Mixed No data
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
12
Key actions
5
Committee
3
Amendments
3
Feb 4, 2025
Legislature · Passed
Subcommittee recommends passage.
legislature
Feb 3, 2025
Legislature · Passed
Subcommittee Meeting: 02/04/2025 11:00AM Room G15.
legislature
Feb 3, 2025
Upper · Passed
Subcommittee: Driscoll, Bisignano, and Westrich.
upper
Jan 30, 2025
Lower · Passed
Passed House, yeas 68, nays 31.
lower
Jan 30, 2025
Lower · Passed
Amendment H-1002 adopted, as amended.
lower
Jan 30, 2025
Introduced
Amendment H-1004 to amendment H-1002 filed, adopted.
lower
Jan 29, 2025
Introduced
Amendment H-1002 filed.
lower
Jan 27, 2025
Introduced
Introduced, placed on Ways and Means calendar.
lower
0 primary · 0 co-sponsors

Sponsors

No sponsor information available.