HF 2227: A bill for an act relating to land restoration following the initial construction of electric transmission lines, and including effective date and retroactive applicability provisions. - Iowa

Enrolled with Governor's Action → Reprinted · 2 edits

MINOR

The bill was reprinted from its final 'Enrolled' version to a 'Reprinted' version intended for the legislative record. The substantive policy language, including definitions, restoration requirements, and effective dates, remains identical. The primary changes are the addition of committee metadata, page headers, and a note indicating this version is a successor to a previous bill (HSB 526).

Scope change

The scope and applicability of the bill's policies did not change; only the document formatting and metadata were updated.

TECHNICAL

Added committee metadata, page numbering, and a note identifying the bill as a successor to HSB 526.

Replaced the 'Enrolled' status header with a 'Reprinted' status header and removed the Governor's signature block.

Enrolled → Enrolled with Governor's Action · 1 edit · Apr 16, 2026

MINOR

The bill was finalized into its official 'Enrolled' form, converting the draft text into a clean, continuous layout suitable for printing and signing. No substantive policy changes, legal definitions, or operational requirements were altered; the text remains identical to the previous version.

TECHNICAL

The document layout was reformatted from a line-by-line amendment style to a standard continuous paragraph format, removing page breaks and hyphenation for the final official version.

Signed Enrolled Bill (PDF) → Enrolled · 6 edits · Apr 16, 2026

MODERATE

The bill text was reformatted to remove the Governor's signature block and replace it with a clean title page. Substantively, the legislation adds new requirements for electric transmission owners to restore agricultural land, specifically by repairing underground drain tiles, removing non-native rocks, deep-tilling to fix soil compaction, and reseeding fields after construction.

Scope change

The bill now explicitly applies to high-voltage transmission lines (200 kilovolts or more) approved on or after July 1, 2024, that are part of a federally registered regional planning authority.

REQUIREMENT

Mandates that transmission owners repair damaged underground drain tiles to the original quality and size during construction.

Requires transmission owners to remove large non-native rocks from excavated land and dispose of them with landowner agreement.

Orders deep-tilling of agricultural land (at least 18 inches for crops) to alleviate soil compaction caused by heavy equipment.

Directs the restoration of soil conservation structures to their pre-construction elevation and grade.

Requires reseeding and cover crops for agricultural land not currently in production, such as hay fields or conservation set-asides.

DEFINITION

Added specific definitions for 'Electric transmission line', 'Electric transmission owner', and 'Qualified individual' to clarify who and what the rules apply to.

Introduced → Signed Enrolled Bill (PDF) · 5 edits · Apr 16, 2026

MODERATE

The bill was signed into law, converting it from a draft proposal to an official enacted statute. The text was reformatted from a line-by-line legislative markup into a standard document layout with a formal cover letter from the Governor. Substantively, the law establishes rules for land restoration after building high-voltage power lines, requiring owners to repair drainage, remove non-native rocks, till soil, and reseed land. A key technical change updates the effective date for these rules from July 1, 2022, to July 1, 2024, and clarifies that the commission can appoint inspectors to enforce compliance.

Scope change

The scope of the law remains focused on the initial construction of electric transmission lines (200+ kilovolts) in rural areas, excluding city limits. The primary change is the updated effective date for when these restoration rules apply to new projects.

TIMELINE

The date for when the new land restoration rules apply to approved projects was changed from July 1, 2022, to July 1, 2024.

REQUIREMENT

Specific requirements were added mandating the repair of damaged underground drain tiles to original quality and the removal of non-native rocks larger than three inches from excavated areas.

New rules require deep tilling of agricultural land (18 inches for crops, 12 inches for others) and reseeding of non-crop land to prevent soil erosion.

ENFORCEMENT

The Utilities Commission is authorized to appoint qualified inspectors to check for compliance and issue corrective orders or civil penalties if restoration standards are not met.

DEFINITION

Clear definitions were added for key terms such as 'Electric transmission line,' 'Landowner,' and 'Qualified individual' to ensure consistent application of the law.

A bill for an act relating to land restoration following the initial construction of electric transmission lines, and including effective date and retroactive applicability provisions.

What changed between versions

How they voted

Actions timeline

Sponsors