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SF 2432 Iowa Senate · 2025-2026 Regular Session

A bill for an act eliminating a city’s ability to create a city board of health or a city health department, and including effective date provisions.

This bill transfers public health authority from city-level boards and health departments to county or multi-county district boards. It requires counties without districts to establish county boards, mandates funding plans for boards (including city contributions), and sets requirements for public hearings before adopting health rules. The bill directly affects all cities, counties, and current local health departments in Iowa by changing oversight structure. Key provisions include allowing counties to join existing districts for efficiency and requiring written agreements with county hospitals.
Bill status passed 3 of 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Feb 2026
Committee Review
Mar 2026
Senate Passage
Mar 2026
House Passage
Governor
Introduced Feb 23, 2026 Last action Mar 31, 2026
Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

Introduced → Reprinted · 6 edits
MODERATE
The bill was reprinted to reflect a significant policy shift: it now eliminates the ability for cities to create their own city boards of health or city health departments, requiring them to instead perform public health services through county or district boards. Additionally, the bill clarifies the definition of a 'local board of health' to explicitly include city boards only if they existed prior to July 1, 2010, and removes the requirement for county boards to contract with county hospitals if they can prove an alternative, cost-effective means of providing services exists.
Scope change
The bill's scope was narrowed regarding city governance; cities are no longer authorized to establish independent city boards of health or city health departments, consolidating public health authority at the county or district level.
ELIGIBILITY

Removed the authority for cities to appoint members to a city board of health or city health department.

DEFINITION

Modified the definition of 'City board' and 'City health department' to refer only to entities that existed prior to July 1, 2010, effectively phasing out new city-level health boards.

Clarified the definition of 'Local board of health' to distinguish between current city, county, and district boards versus legacy city boards.

REQUIREMENT

Added a new requirement stating that cities shall not maintain a city board of health or city health department and must perform public health services through existing local boards of health.

Modified the waiver process for county hospitals, changing the recipient of the waiver application letter from the city council to the county board of supervisors.

TIMELINE

Added an effective date provision stating the Act takes effect on January 1, 2027.

Floor votes · Senate Mar 10, 2026

How they voted

32–12
Passed · 5 other
Total votes 49
Mar 10, 2026
D Democratic15
2 Yea 12 Nay 1
80% Nay
R Republican34
30 Yea 4
88% Yea
Vote distribution
All Yea All Nay Mixed No data
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
16
Key actions
7
Committee
6
Amendments
3
Mar 31, 2026
Introduced
Amendment H-8277 filed.
lower
Mar 24, 2026
Introduced
Amendment H-8260 filed.
lower
Mar 19, 2026
Lower · Passed
Committee vote: Yeas, 12. Nays, 9.
lower
Mar 19, 2026
Lower · Passed
Committee report, recommending passage.
lower
Mar 18, 2026
Legislature · Passed
Subcommittee recommends passage.
legislature
Mar 17, 2026
Legislature · Passed
Subcommittee Meeting: 03/18/2026 12:15PM RM 304.
legislature
Mar 12, 2026
Lower · Passed
Subcommittee: Wheeler, Watkins and Wichtendahl.
lower
Mar 10, 2026
Upper · Passed
Passed Senate, yeas 32, nays 13.
upper
Mar 10, 2026
Introduced
Amendment S-5094 filed, adopted.
upper
Feb 23, 2026
Upper · Passed
Committee report, approving bill.
upper
Feb 23, 2026
Introduced
Introduced, placed on calendar.
upper
0 primary · 0 co-sponsors

Sponsors

No sponsor information available.