Iowa Bills

in committee · Iowa · House Mar 13, 2025

HF 723: A bill for an act requiring a water treatment plant to conduct a test of sewage sludge to detect the presence of a perfluoroalkyl or polyfluoroalkyl substance.

HF 723 requires Iowa water treatment plants to test sewage sludge for perfluoroalkyl or polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) before applying it to farmland. If PFAS is detected, the plant must notify the landowner in writing, who can then refuse the sludge without facing legal consequences. The bill directly affects water treatment facilities and farmers who use sewage sludge as fertilizer. It creates a mandatory testing and notification process to inform landowners about potential PFAS presence in applied sludge.

Topics ✓ Environment

in committee · Iowa · House Mar 13, 2025

HF 959: A bill for an act relating to ventilator-dependent recipients who receive services under the medical assistance program.

HF 959 requires Iowa's Medicaid program (medical assistance program) to provide ventilator services based on medical need, not age, for people who rely on ventilators. The bill mandates that the Department of Health and Human Services adopt rules ensuring any qualified medical provider can deliver these services to eligible Medicaid enrollees. This directly affects ventilator-dependent Medicaid recipients by removing age-based barriers to care and expanding provider options. The rules aim to standardize access to necessary ventilator services regardless of the recipient's age or current provider network.

Topics ✓ Healthcare

in committee · Iowa · Senate Mar 13, 2025

SF 602: A bill for an act relating to modification and substitution of a death certificate based on information obtained from a brain autopsy.

SF 602 allows families to update a death certificate using information from a brain autopsy without needing a court order, if requested within 10 years of the death. It applies directly to families seeking corrections to a death certificate when a licensed professional or accredited U.S. medical school's brain autopsy reveals new causes of death. The bill requires Iowa's Department of Health and Human Services to create procedures for this change, prohibits state fees for the update, and mandates the new certificate follow existing rules (sections 144.38 and 144.41). This streamlines corrections to death records based on medical evidence from brain autopsies.

in committee · Iowa · House Mar 13, 2025

HF 94: A bill for an act relating to individual income taxation by exempting certain amounts received from nonqualified deferred compensation plans and including retroactive applicability provisions.

HF 94 exempts up to $500,000 of income from nonqualified deferred compensation plans (like certain deferred pay for select employees) from Iowa's individual income tax for eligible individuals. This applies to people who are disabled, at least 55 years old, or surviving spouses of someone who qualified under the same rules. The exemption covers both the principal amount and earnings from these plans, mirroring existing retirement income exclusion rules. The bill applies retroactively to tax years beginning January 1, 2025.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes

in committee · Iowa · House Mar 13, 2025

HF 958: A bill for an act creating a premarital counseling tax credit available against the individual income tax, and including retroactive applicability provisions.

HF 958 creates a tax credit for Iowa individual income taxpayers who pay for premarital counseling, reducing their tax bill by up to $500 per couple. The credit covers the full cost of counseling services (defined as preparation for marriage), with any unused portion carried forward to future tax years but not refunded. This credit applies retroactively to tax years beginning January 1, 2025, meaning couples can claim it for 2025 and later tax filings. It directly affects Iowa residents seeking premarital counseling services who file individual income tax returns.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes

in committee · Iowa · House Mar 13, 2025

HSB 306: A bill for an act modifying the research activities tax credit available against the individual and corporate income taxes, and including effective date and retroactive applicability provisions.

This bill modifies Iowa's research activities tax credit for individuals and corporations. It reduces the credit amount based on the number of layoffs a claimant experienced during the tax year: 50% reduction for 1,500+ layoffs, 25% for 1,000-1,500, 12.5% for 500-1,000, and 6.25% for fewer than 500 layoffs. The Department of Revenue must review workforce development layoff notices before approving the credit and can recapture previously claimed credits that don't meet these requirements. The changes apply retroactively to tax years beginning January 1, 2024.

Topics ✓ Labor & Employment

in committee · Iowa · House Mar 12, 2025

HF 920: A bill for an act relating to the double up food bucks program and making an appropriation.

HF 920 appropriates $1 million from Iowa's general fund for fiscal year 2025-2026 to support the Double Up Food Bucks program. The program provides matching funds for SNAP recipients to purchase fresh produce at participating farmers markets and grocery stores across Iowa. Starting January 1, 2026, the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services must submit annual reports to the legislature detailing program participation, locations, and redemption rates. The funding does not expire at year-end but remains available for the program's continued operation.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes ✓ Healthcare

in committee · Iowa · House Mar 12, 2025

HF 931: A bill for an act concerning card game tournaments conducted by qualified organizations representing veterans.

HF 931 removes specific restrictions on card game tournaments run by qualified veterans' organizations in Iowa. It eliminates requirements that every participant must have an equal chance of winning, that no second chances or multiple entries be allowed, and that tournaments must follow strict entry rules. This change directly affects Iowa veterans' groups that are federally chartered, dedicate tournament net proceeds to veterans' causes, and are tax-exempt under federal law. The bill amends Iowa Code section 99B.27 to simplify tournament rules for these designated organizations. The change allows such groups more flexibility in organizing their events without altering their existing financial or tax status.

Topics ✓ Veterans

in committee · Iowa · Senate Mar 12, 2025

SF 379: A bill for an act creating a deduction available against the individual income tax for educational expenses at institutions of higher education for career-related programs and apprenticeship programs, and including retroactive applicability provisions.

SF 379 creates a new Iowa individual income tax deduction for educational costs at specific career-focused programs and apprenticeships. It allows taxpayers to deduct expenses like tuition, fees, books, and supplies paid for: (1) career-related programs at colleges or training programs that don’t offer college credit, and (2) registered apprenticeship programs. The deduction applies retroactively to tax years beginning January 1, 2025, and excludes payments from education savings plans. It directly affects Iowa residents paying for these qualifying education expenses.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes ✓ Education ✓ Labor & Employment

in committee · Iowa · House Mar 12, 2025

HSB 271: A bill for an act establishing a partial exemption on property taxes for certain residential properties sold in disaster areas.

This bill creates a temporary partial property tax exemption for residential properties sold by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to eligible homeowners in areas affected by declared disasters. It directly affects HUD-sold homes purchased by residents receiving Iowa's homestead tax credit, located in areas where the president or governor declared a major disaster or emergency. The exemption provides a phased reduction in property taxes over four years: 80% in the first year, 60% in the second, 40% in the third, and 20% in the fourth, after which the full tax applies. This policy change applies only to properties sold specifically to provide housing following a disaster.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes ✓ Housing

in committee · Iowa · Senate Mar 12, 2025

SF 286: A bill for an act relating to education, including by modifying provisions related to the national board certification pilot project and establishing the advanced dyslexia specialist endorsement competitive scholar program within the college student aid commission, and including effective date provisions.

SF 286 modifies Iowa's national board certification program for teachers and creates a new tuition reimbursement program for dyslexia specialist training. It establishes the "advanced dyslexia specialist endorsement competitive scholar program" administered by the College Student Aid Commission (CSAC), providing tuition reimbursement to Iowa teachers working toward an advanced dyslexia specialist endorsement. Eligible teachers must be employed by an Iowa school district, charter school, nonpublic school, or education agency and can receive reimbursement for up to two years, covering actual tuition costs (capped at total costs incurred). The program is funded through dedicated state appropriations that roll over annually if unspent, with CSAC reporting annually on participation and outcomes.

Topics ✓ Education

in committee · Iowa · House Mar 12, 2025

HF 191: A bill for an act relating to the intentional emission of air contaminants into the atmosphere.

HF 191 prohibits the intentional emission of air contaminants within Iowa for the purpose of deliberately altering temperature, weather, or sunlight intensity (geoengineering). It directly affects any entity or individual conducting such emissions in the state, overriding conflicting existing laws. The bill requires the Environmental Protection Commission to adopt implementing rules, including emergency rules for immediate enforcement. Key mechanisms include a clear prohibition on weather-modification emissions and a mandate for the Commission to develop specific regulations under existing rulemaking procedures. The bill focuses solely on preventing intentional atmospheric manipulation, not general air pollution control.

Topics ✓ Environment

Bill results