Iowa Bills

in committee · Iowa · House Mar 4, 2025

HF 721: A bill for an act relating to the consideration of nonfinancial factors in providing financial services, including actions regarding the economic interest of enterprise shareholders and participants in and beneficiaries of public pension benefit plans, and providing penalties.

HF 721 requires pension fund fiduciaries (like managers of public retirement systems) to prioritize the financial returns of plan participants over non-financial considerations, such as environmental or social goals. It defines "best economic interest" as maximizing risk-adjusted investment returns and prohibits financial institutions from discriminating against customers based on protected speech, climate policy choices, or diversity initiatives. Fiduciaries must provide documented economic analyses demonstrating how voting against board recommendations on shareholder proposals aligns with financial interests. The bill specifically targets large financial institutions ($100B+ assets) and public pension plans in Iowa.

Topics ✗ Environment

in committee · Iowa · House Mar 4, 2025

HF 733: A bill for an act relating to the employment of school bus drivers who have completed a department of education approved course of instruction.

HF 733 modifies Iowa's requirements for school bus driver certification. It states that drivers who have completed a department-approved training course within the last 24 months do not need to retake the course when moving to a new school district, as long as they complete the next required training within 24 months of their previous completion. This applies to drivers employed by Iowa school districts and affects how districts handle certification transfers. The bill streamlines the process for drivers switching employers while maintaining the core requirement to complete training every 24 months.

in committee · Iowa · Senate Mar 4, 2025

SF 463: A bill for an act relating to drug paraphernalia.

SF 463 amends Iowa's drug paraphernalia law to expand exemptions. It explicitly states that hypodermic needles or syringes sold or possessed for any lawful purpose (not just medical use) are no longer considered drug paraphernalia. The bill also adds a new exemption for equipment used to test for fentanyl, fentanyl analogs, or drug adulterants in controlled substances. These changes directly affect individuals using needles lawfully (e.g., for medical treatment or harm reduction programs) and organizations testing for dangerous substances. The bill does not change penalties for other drug paraphernalia uses.

Topics ✓ Criminal Justice ✓ Healthcare

in committee · Iowa · House Mar 4, 2025

HF 619: A bill for an act relating to air medal special registration plates, and providing fees.

HF 619 allows Iowans who received an Air Medal (awarded by the U.S. government for aerial heroism or meritorious flight since 1942) to obtain special license plates featuring an air medal emblem at no cost. The bill requires applicants to submit proof of their award to the Department of Transportation, which will design the emblem with the adjutant general's input. Fees collected from other special plates (not Air Medal plates) are deposited into the road use tax fund, but the bill mandates transferring the special plate fees for Air Medal plates monthly to a veterans license fee fund. Surviving spouses of eligible veterans may continue using the plates by paying a $5 annual fee, but must return them if they remarry.

Topics ✓ Veterans

in committee · Iowa · House Mar 4, 2025

HF 725: A bill for an act establishing a rural emergency response enhancement program, making appropriations, and including effective date provisions.

HF 725 establishes a program to provide grants for EMT training to small rural police departments (serving ≤10,000 people) and volunteer fire departments (serving ≤10,000 people) in Iowa. It creates a state fund with up to $250,000 annually from 2025-2029 to cover training costs like tuition, equipment, and certification fees, requiring applicants to demonstrate need and commit to deploying trained personnel. Grantees must submit annual reports on personnel trained, response time improvements, and implementation challenges. The program, administered by the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services, ends July 1, 2029.

Topics ✓ Healthcare

in committee · Iowa · Senate Mar 4, 2025

SF 161: A bill for an act prohibiting the regulation of certain residential gardens by state agencies and local governments.

SF 161, the "Freedom to Garden Act," prohibits state agencies and local governments in Iowa from regulating residential gardens on properties with up to two family dwellings. It protects gardens where residents grow vegetables, fruits, or other edible plants primarily for personal or family use, not for sale. The law makes any regulation banning such gardens void and unenforceable, but excludes gardens intended for commercial sale, government-owned properties, gardens violating existing agricultural rules (like pesticide or weed control laws), or plants causing public safety hazards or property damage. This bill directly affects homeowners and renters who maintain small-scale food gardens on their residential property.

in committee · Iowa · House Mar 4, 2025

HF 656: A bill for an act relating to vision benefit plans, the regulation of insurers and vision benefit managers, vision care providers, and vision care provider contracts and including effective date and applicability provisions.

HF 656 regulates vision benefit plans in Iowa by setting standards for how insurers and vision benefit managers pay eye care providers. It requires clear, non-discriminatory reimbursement schedules, annual rate adjustments based on the consumer price index, and matching timeframes for claim payments and audits. The bill directly affects optometrists and eye care providers who receive payments from vision benefit plans, as well as the insurers and vision benefit managers that administer those plans. Key provisions ensure providers are paid fairly for covered services when patients are verified as eligible at the time of care, and prevent unfair delays in reimbursement. The law aims to create transparency and fairness in vision care billing without changing patient cost-sharing requirements.

Topics ✓ Healthcare

in committee · Iowa · Senate Mar 4, 2025

SF 483: A bill for an act directing the department of transportation to study the use of biodegradable deicers on highways.

SF 483 directs Iowa's Department of Transportation (DOT) to study using biodegradable deicers like beet juice for highway ice and snow control. The DOT must evaluate the environmental impact, practicality, and costs of these alternatives to traditional deicers. The study requires a final report to the legislature by January 1, 2027. This bill does not fund or implement new deicing methods, only mandates a review of existing options.

Topics ✓ Environment

in committee · Iowa · House Mar 4, 2025

HF 714: A bill for an act relating to restrictions on the acquisition of real property by the department of natural resources.

HF 714 restricts Iowa's Department of Natural Resources (DNR) from acquiring real property at public auctions. The bill requires the DNR to only purchase property from willing donors or sellers (without pressure) and prohibits paying more than appraised value for property from nonprofits that bought it at auction. An exception allows DNR to acquire property from auctions or such nonprofits if the purchase supports a conservation or recreation plan approved by the Natural Resources Commission. This directly affects the DNR's property acquisition process and property sellers/buyers interacting with the agency.

in committee · Iowa · Senate Mar 4, 2025

SF 482: A bill for an act relating to duties of the attorney general concerning public employees killed as a result of criminal action while in the scope of employment.

SF 482 requires Iowa's Attorney General to provide legal representation in contempt-of-court proceedings to recover criminal restitution payments when a public employee is killed during work. It directly affects families of public employees (like police officers or teachers) whose deaths resulted from criminal acts while on duty. The key provision adds a specific duty for the Attorney General to pursue these restitution cases through contempt proceedings, rather than creating new financial obligations. This bill focuses on ensuring existing court-ordered restitution is collected for victims' families. (Note: This is a procedural bill affecting enforcement, not new policy.)

Topics ✓ Criminal Justice ✓ Labor & Employment

in committee · Iowa · House Mar 4, 2025

HF 727: A bill for an act relating to the maximum finance charge on a consumer credit sale.

HF 727 caps the annual finance charge for consumer credit sales at 10% on unpaid balances. It applies to both open-end credit (like credit cards) and other installment credit, limiting how much lenders can charge in interest. The bill directly affects consumers who take out credit for purchases and the lenders who provide those loans. Key provisions set a strict 10% annual rate ceiling, replacing previous higher thresholds. This is a concrete policy change to limit interest costs for borrowers.

in committee · Iowa · Senate Mar 4, 2025

SF 480: A bill for an act relating to state employee paid bereavement leave.

SF 480 requires Iowa state employers to provide up to three days of paid leave for employees following the death of a parent, child, or spouse. This replaces the current system where state employees could use up to 40 hours of accrued sick leave annually for such family deaths. The bill directly affects all Iowa state employees who experience the loss of an immediate family member. It establishes a specific, dedicated leave entitlement rather than relying on existing sick leave rules.

Topics ✓ Labor & Employment

Bill results