HF 2672 establishes Iowa's community solar program, allowing multiple subscribers to share benefits from solar facilities through bill credits. The bill sets specific rules: facilities can generate up to 5 megawatts (20 megawatts on brownfield sites), must have at least three subscribers, and require at least 60% of capacity to be subscribed by small users (under 40 kilowatts). Utilities must provide bill credits based on a commission-approved "value of solar" rate, with unused credits carried over monthly but forfeited annually. The program clarifies community solar does not count as a public utility or duplicate existing infrastructure, aiming to expand solar access while protecting non-participating customers from direct costs.
HF 2508 requires Iowa school organizations and nonschool groups operating extracurricular athletic activities to observe specific noncontact periods starting in the 2026-2027 school year. During these periods (summer: 10 days, fall: 7 days in November, winter: Dec 25-Jan 1, spring: 7 days during spring break), coaches, directors, and teachers cannot contact students about athletics, dance, cheerleading, band, show choir, or theater, and no competitions may occur. All high school students - including incoming ninth graders - are subject to these rules, meaning they cannot communicate with coaches or use school facilities for these activities during designated times, on or off campus. The bill applies to both school-sponsored and nonschool-sponsored organizations that schedule these events.
HF 2607 exempts employees of certain Amish employers from unemployment insurance eligibility. It applies only to employers who certify (to Iowa's workforce department) that all owners are members of the Old Order Amish church or a similar congregation with sincere religious objections to unemployment insurance, and who agree not to allow employees to claim benefits. Employers must also obtain written employee acknowledgments confirming they understand service won't qualify for benefits and file annual elections with the department. This exemption does not affect compliance with federal unemployment laws or other employment obligations.
This bill amends Iowa law to clarify and expand the specific reasons a local assessor can be removed by the conference board. It adds two new grounds for removal: failing to meet employment standards or engaging in unethical/unlawful conduct, both requiring proof at a public hearing. The change directly affects local assessors and the conference board that oversees their removal process. The bill takes effect immediately upon enactment.
HF 2639 establishes rules for deposing minor victims (under 18) in criminal cases, requiring defense attorneys to seek court approval before proceeding. It mandates that courts weigh factors like the minor's age, offense severity, and potential trauma before granting permission, and requires defense counsel to prove the deposition is critical to a fair trial while showing efforts to use less traumatic alternatives first. Approved depositions must include mandatory protections: safe locations (avoiding jails or law enforcement facilities), video/audio recording under seal, hourly breaks, and the presence of supportive adults, therapists, or victim advocates. This bill directly affects minors in criminal cases, defense attorneys, and Iowa courts handling such depositions.
HF 2611 prohibits employers from hiring or continuing to employ someone who provided a false Social Security number (SSN) on employment documents. It also makes it unlawful for job seekers to provide a false SSN to obtain employment, and for employers to give fraudulent SSNs to hire people. Employers violating these rules face a $10,000 civil penalty, with repeated violations requiring business shutdowns until managers complete compliance training. The bill directly affects employers in Iowa and job seekers who use false SSNs, aiming to prevent identity fraud in hiring.
HF 2702, the "Iowa Surface Owners Protection Act," requires oil and gas operators to notify landowners (surface owners) at least 90 days before starting new operations on their property, providing detailed plans and a proposed compensation agreement. Operators must compensate landowners for specific damages including crop loss, soil degradation, reduced land value, and lost access, and they must restore the land to its pre-operation condition after activities end. The bill mandates written surface use agreements covering aspects like well pad placement, water management, erosion control, and noise, with negotiations required before operators can proceed without an agreement. It applies to new operations starting July 1, 2026, directly affecting landowners and oil/gas operators conducting activities on agricultural or mineral-rich land.
HF 2358 allows private childcare centers and other community-based providers (like nonprofit early learning centers) to directly operate the state's preschool program for four-year-olds, rather than only partnering with school districts. It creates new approval standards for these providers, requires them to meet quality standards, and specifies how funding can be used (supplementing, not replacing, existing preschool funds). The bill also mandates that providers track student progress and follow state rules for program quality, transportation, and professional development. This change expands access to state-funded preschool by enabling more types of community providers to offer the program directly to families.
This bill updates Iowa's child passenger safety requirements. It extends the rear-facing car seat requirement from children under 1 year to those under 2 years (or until reaching the car seat's height/weight limits). It raises the age for forward-facing car seats from under 6 to under 8 years, and changes the requirement for booster seats or seatbelts to apply to children aged 8-18 (instead of 6-18). The bill removes an existing exemption allowing unrestrained children in the back seat if seatbelts are occupied by others. The rules apply to all registered motor vehicles except school buses and motorcycles.
HF 2535 makes it a class C felony to send, post, or transmit written or electronic threats to kill, cause bodily injury, or carry out a mass shooting or act of terrorism via any digital platform visible to others. The law applies to threats shared through social media, messaging, or other digital communications (excluding phone calls), targeting individuals who make such threats online. Violators face up to 10 years in prison and fines up to $13,660. This directly affects people who issue violent digital threats, while exempting internet service providers from liability for users' violations. The bill creates new criminal penalties for digital threats, distinct from existing laws covering in-person or verbal threats.
HF 2625 allows Iowa child support agencies to subpoena records from digital financial accounts (like online banking or payment apps) to enforce child support orders. It defines "digital financial account" as any online account storing, transferring, or receiving money digitally, and permits agencies to obtain transaction histories, income payments, and other relevant financial data. Parents or putative fathers who fail to comply with such subpoenas without a valid reason face a class "D" felony charge, punishable by up to five years in prison and fines between $1,025 and $10,245. The bill directly affects individuals obligated to pay child support who use digital financial services.
HF 2656 designates a segment of U.S. Highway 30 within Marshalltown's city limits as the "Staff Sergeant William Nathaniel Howard Highway" to honor Staff Sergeant William "Nate" Howard, who died in action in Palmyra, Syria, while serving in the Iowa Army National Guard. The bill applies permanently to this specific highway segment, regardless of any future changes to the highway's official designation by the U.S. government. This is a commemorative measure with no policy changes or funding impacts beyond standard signage costs paid from the primary road fund.
